


Twilight of the Idols

by Herr_Wozzeck



Series: They Who Fight Monsters [3]
Category: Beyond: Two Souls, Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Conspiracy, Espionage, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 03:34:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 136,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8188094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Herr_Wozzeck/pseuds/Herr_Wozzeck
Summary: Jodie has uncovered the conspiracy behind Commander Shepard, and is rallying people behind her. However, when Shepard unexpectedly returns from the grave and conscripts her into a mission to destroy the Collectors, she finds she must work undercover to discover Shepard's ultimate plans. Worse, there are signs that Shepard's galaxy is beginning to expand its influence on major powers in the galaxy. Will Jodie be able to discover Shepard's true intentions before it is too late? Part Three of "They Who Fight Monsters".





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Parallel Realities](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/232448) by In Harms Way. 



Commander John Shepard looked at Jodie in surprise, seeing her amidst the gaggle of quarians. "Jodie?" he asked. He stepped forward, his sword's blade dying with a small fizz. "Jodie, what are _you_ doing here?"

"N..." She shook her head, before stepping forward. " _You're_ one to ask! What the hell are _you_ doing here?" She gestured wildly. "You're supposed to be... you know..."

"Dead?" Jodie's attention turned to the black-haired woman as she stepped forward. Jodie concentrated on the Cerberus insignia, before turning back to the woman before her. "I made sure to change that." She looked over at the quarians. "What are they doing here?"

Lyra stepped forward. "We've got a quarian on Pilgrimage hiding around somewhere," she said. "And if you think we're going to let you take him away, you've got-"

"Relax, nobody's taking anyone today." Jodie turned her attention to the black guy. He then looked at Shepard, crossing his arms. "Do you think he was the one behind the mechs?"

"I don't fucking care," said Shepard. "I just want these mechs dealt with."

"Well, you're a bit late to the party there," Lyra replied. "We took care of a bunch of them on our way here."

Jodie shook her head, looking at Shepard and the other two humans. "But hold on a minute!" she said, looking at Shepard. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"You haven't answered that question yourself," said Shepard. He crossed his arms. "You tell me, I tell you."

And then, Jodie swallowed. Aiden gurgled softly, and it was then that Jodie realized her predicament. She had never thought of a lie to tell Shepard: how could she, when all the intel painted Shepard as dead? And there she was, on the spot, to the very man she had been working to undermine for some time. And with no alias to hide behind, no unfamiliarity...

 _Goddammit,_ she thought.

Finally, she chuckled nervously. "W-well..." She looked back at the quarians, before turning back to Shepard. "I'm sort of... you know when I left the Normandy? I started helping people around a bit." She then shrugged, stepping closer to Lyra. "Off the record. People hired my help, I'd go and help them out." She then got close enough to elbow Lyra lightly on the arm. "And they hired me for my services, right?"

Lyra glanced at Jodie. "Well... Yes, just in case we encountered any humans," said Lyra. She then looked around. "We didn't find any here, but Veetor's distress signal was pretty prominent, so we can't take any chances."

"So they figured it was pretty serious, you know?" Jodie asked. "And, uh... they hired me to help them out. One-woman mercenary team, you know!"

Aiden let out an unamused chirp, but before he could say anything else, Jodie crossed her arms, looking at him. "And what about you?" she asked.

Shepard sighed. "Well, I _did_ die," he said. "But these two decided it was a brilliant idea to change that."

"The two Cerberus agents, huh?" asked Prazza. "You're not working for them _now_ , are you?"

"That is for us to know, and not for you," the black-haired woman replied. She then turned to the commander. "Shepard, we don't have time for this. We came here to figure out what the cause behind these disappearances at the colonies, and that cause is in that control room over there." She then pointed at the building close to the YMIR mech.

Jodie blinked, before turning to Lyra. "Funny," the quarian said. "We were also headed in that direction."

Prazza's eyes narrowed. "You're not _seriously_ considering joining forces with _Cerberus_ ," he said. "And their decoy for that matter?"

Shepard bristled, but before he could step forward, Lyra shook his head. "No," she said. "There's nothing to band against, now, is there?"

"She brings up a good point," said the black man as he leaned forward. "We can always just go our separate ways."

Lyra paused, looking at the two Cerberus operatives. "And forget we bumped into you," said Lyra. "Because we can do that with Cerberus operatives and their decoy."

Shepard then stepped forward, pointing his finger right in Lyra's face. "I'll have you know I'm not working with Cerberus _willingly_ ," he said. "And anyway, I am _not_ a decoy. I can't prove that now, but you'll just have to take me on my word about that." He then turned to the building. "How about we talk to your quarian, we get whatever we need from him, and then you leave the colony with him."

Prazza frowned, looking to Lyra before turning back to the commander. "You'd leave him, decoy?"

Jodie shook her head. "Believe me, Prazza, this is no decoy," she said. She shook her head. "I think that's-"

"And in addition to that, you leave Jodie here with me."

Jodie's hair immediately stood on end. The other quarians, too, looked over at her in shock, Aiden trilling loudly in alarm. Lyra leaned forward, looking right at Jodie.

"What?" asked Jodie. "Leaving me here?"

"Yes, you stay here with me, Jodie," Shepard replied. He then gestured to Jodie. "I'm about to walk into territory I really don't want to walk into, and you're the first person I can trust that I have run into since I woke up. You're coming with me, because I need people I can _trust_ on this mission."

Aiden's trill only grew louder as Jodie's eyes widened. _No..._ she thought. _I can't... Oh, this will throw a wrench into everything!_

"Shepard, with all due respect, I have other jobs after this," Jodie replied. "My clientele has gotten rather large, you know!"

Shepard crossed his arms. "Then I can force whoever this Illusive Man is to cough up money to cover all of their contracts," he said. "After all, he can cough up money to get someone I trust on the crew. And if I can do that, I should. Right?"

 _The Illusive Man..._ Jodie then looked at the two Cerberus operatives. _Shepard would never willingly work with Cerberus, right, Aiden?_

The entity trilled softly. _Yeah, that's what I thought,_ Jodie thought. _He would never work with them willingly._ Her brow furrowed, and then she looked at the black-haired beauty, remembering the way Shepard had phrased his apparent resurrection. _Unless..._

And then, Aiden clicked once, and at once Jodie realized something else. _Aiden, you're not thinking what I'm thinking, are you?_

Aiden released a long series of clicks. Jodie swallowed, before looking up. _That's exactly what I was thinking! We just have to figure out how to do this without alerting him that we know about him..._

Jodie bit her bottom lip. "Yeah, you're right..." She paused, feeling her heart beat rapidly. "Working for someone you don't trust, you need people you can trust by your side, right?"

"Glad you agree." Shepard turned to Jodie, before pointing at the building. "I'll tell you about the mission parameters after we figure out what the hell happened here. For now, I'm adding you to my mission. Humanity is at stake, Jodie, and I need your help."

Jodie breathed in uncertainly, feeling a rush of fear rush up and down her spine. "Y... Yes, Shepard."

Shepard nodded, before he turned his attention to the two Cerberus operatives by his side. "Come on," he said. "We're getting this information, and if it's that quarian we're sending him on his way with them." He turned to Lyra. "Pay Jodie out for her services, and then send her to us."

Lyra could only nod in reply before Shepard turned and marched straight for the building. As soon as Shepard's back was turned, Jodie turned to Lyra, taking a deep breath in as Aiden gurgled in fright.

As soon as Shepard and the two operatives were out of earshot, Jodie shook her head. "You know I can't refuse him," she said. "If I were to refuse now..."

Lyra looked at Shepard. "How do we even know he _is_ Shepard?" she asked.

"Nobody else would wield that sword quite like he did," Jodie said. She shook her head, before swallowing a lump in her throat. "You have to tell the admirals that I've been conscripted behind enemy lines, and they then have to relay that to Hackett. Tell them that I'll be gathering my bearings on there before I contact them with any further information. I don't know who I can trust yet, and if my instincts are right that list will become "nobody" soon."

"What are you doing?" Prazza asked.

Jodie nodded. "This is a golden opportunity," she said. "He's taking me behind enemy lines, I can figure out what his plans are. And I can help bring Cerberus to justice too, depending."

"That last one's a stretch," said Lyra.

"Yeah, but you never know," Jodie said. She patted Lyra's shoulder. "I'm trusting you to relay that information to the admirals as soon as you get back. And make sure they tell Anderson as soon as possible."

Lyra nodded. "Just get Veetor back to us in one piece."

Jodie nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that, Lyra," she said. "Just make sure everyone knows what I'm doing and why."

"You've got it," the quarian said. "We'll be out here."

Jodie nodded, before turning towards the building. She then looked to Prazza, shaking her head. "Try not to give her too hard a time, Prazza."

Prazza only let out an aggravated sigh. With this, Jodie rushed over to the building, just managing to catch up with Shepard and his two new cohorts before they entered.

* * *

"My God, I think it's a Collector."

Jodie turned to the black-haired woman, frowning. The group had been watching surveillance footage "A Collector?" she asked. "What the hell is a Collector?"

All the people in the room turned to Jodie as she stepped in. The black-haired woman frowned, crossing her arms as she turned away from the surveillance footage they had all been viewing prior to Jodie's entrance. Beyond her, Jodie could see a quarian standing aside. She guessed it was Veetor, and he looked on in surprise.

"Sorry I'm late," said Jodie. "Had to give them a small debrief."

"I only hope you won't make a habit of this," the black-haired woman said.

"It's not going to happen," said Jodie. "You'll see."

"Trust me, she won't." Shepard turned to his black-haired compatriot. "Now, you said 'Collector'?"

"They're a species from somewhere beyond the Omega 4 Relay," the black man said. "Only a few people have ever seen one in person."

"They usually work through intermediaries," the other Cerberus agent replied. "Like slavers or mercenaries."

"Great," said Shepard. "But that doesn't explain why they decided to come out of their shells or whatever and do..." He paused, turning to Veetor. "Well, steal an entire colony." He then turned back to the surveillance footage as it played on. "They're advanced enough that they could pull it off, aren't they?"

"You could say that," the black agent responded.

"The seeker swarms." Jodie turned to the quarian pilgrim, his voice quiet and haunted. "No one can hide. The Seekers find you. Freeze you. Then the monsters take you away."

"And then they left?" Jodie asked.

"They took the people onto the ships and left," said Veetor. Jodie noticed he was visibly shaking. "The ship flew away. But they'll be back for me. No survivors!"

Shepard looked up. "Sure, because ignoring the only quarian in the room was _clearly_ an oversight," he said.

Jodie shook her head, before turning to Veetor. "You've been very helpful," said Jodie. "I assure you, you're safe now."

"How do you know?" Veetor asked.

Jodie nodded. "I came here with friends of yours," she said. "They've come with orders to take you home, where the Fleet can protect you if they come back."

The black-haired woman frowned. "And how do we know he doesn't have valuable information about them?" she asked.

Veetor looked at Jodie, ignoring her. "Then..." He sighed in relief. "I can go with them..." He then turned to Shepard, opening his omni-tool. "I studied them. The monsters. The swarms. I recorded them with my omni-tool. Lots of readings. Electromagnetic. Dark energy."

"Mm..." The black-haired woman nodded, looking at Shepard. "I can accept that." She then turned to Shepard. "And you're _sure_ we shouldn't see what else he knows and bring him back with us."

Shepard then stepped right in the Cerberus operative's face, staring directly into her eyes with a scowl. "You'll regret the next time you ever even _think_ of asking me that question," he said, his voice deep and dangerous. Jodie then saw the black-haired woman's eyes widen, and from how unnatural it looked she was certain this expression of fear was foreign to her. Shepard simply kept up his hateful glare, his gaze penetrating deep into her eyes.

Shepard then pulled away, before turning to Veetor, nodding at him. "Your friends are waiting outside. Come, let me take you to them."

Veetor nodded as Shepard extended his arm out to him. "Please, no more monsters..."

Shepard nodded, before gently escorting Veetor out of the room. "Don't worry, Veetor," he said. "There are no more monsters out there."

With this, the two of them left the room. Jodie watched him go, her frown deepening as Shepard left. Her mind lingered on the tone Shepard had used on the black-haired woman, how it gnarled and twisted in anger. She let out a soft sigh, shaking her head and crossing her arms.

"What is with his hatred for Cerberus?" asked Jacob.

Jodie shook her head. "He's not kidding about that," she said. "Remind me to tell you of the time he punched a dent in the Normandy's wall." She then turned to the two Cerberus operatives, sighing. "Well... I guess we're working together now."

The black-haired woman turned, and Jodie could tell from the way she breathed she was trying to get back to a normal state. "You're... Jodie Holmes. The drifter."

"Yes," said Jodie.

The Cerberus operative nodded, pulling at her white catsuit before brushing some black hair out of her face. "Well, for as much as I don't like that Shepard just recruited you on the spot, he saved us a lot of time and work." She then stepped forward, extending her hand out. "Miranda Lawson, director of the Lazarus Project."

Jodie brought her hand over to Miranda's, shaking it gently. "Charmed," she said, slowly letting it go. "And you are...?"

"Jacob Taylor, ma'am," said the black man as he bowed his head. "We've heard wild stories about the Normandy, Jodie Holmes. I'm looking forward to having you on board."

"Don't get too comfortable," Miranda said. "We are a Cerberus ship first and foremost."

Jodie sighed, shaking her head and looking to the door. "Good luck convincing him of that," she said.

Jacob shook his head, crossing his arms. "Don't worry about him," he said. "He'll get the program once we start collecting our team."

Jodie frowned. "Team?"

"Human colonies have been disappearing, and the Alliance hasn't responded," said Miranda. She then looked up. "And Cerberus is the only group willing to do anything about it."

"Our objective is to get to the bottom of these disappearances, and to stop them from happening," said Jacob.

Jodie frowned. She had heard of numerous intelligence reports from various Alliance officials about the disappearances in the colonies. Usually, these were brushed off: she knew just as much as everybody else that Shepard's galaxy was a priority first and foremost. But as she stood in that room with the two Cerberus operatives, she breathed in, looking around the room.

 _Is this really what we're setting aside for the greater good?_ she thought.

Aiden trilled. Before Jodie could react, Shepard had opened the door, stepping in.

"There," he said to Miranda. "I've investigated the colony like the Illusive Man asked. Can I talk to him now? I _really_ don't want to stick around Cerberus longer than I absolutely _have_ to."

Miranda nodded. "Let's go back to the shuttle, then," she said. She then turned to Jodie. "We can fill your friend in on the details of the operation while we wait."

"Sure," said Jodie.

She gulped softly, following behind Miranda as the group left the little room. As Aiden gurgled uncertainly, she looked up to where she assumed he was, taking a deep breath and sighing. She looked around the empty Freedom's Progress, following the footsteps of her new group the whole time.

 _Just sit and wait, Aiden,_ she thought. _We'll have our turn soon enough..._

* * *

"Wait, _you're_ here, too?"

Jodie nearly jumped a foot in the air upon seeing Joker there. The pilot leaned against a railing, looking up in shock at her. Jodie herself could not help the way her hands ended up opening in shock. And as they looked at each other longer, the reality set in.

"Joker!" said Jodie. She stepped forward, her hands clasping the crippled pilot's in surprise. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Hey, isn't that _my_ line?" asked Joker. "I could swear it was!"

Jodie shook her head, leaning forward and glancing to the side. "Well... I did kind of get conscripted, was the thing," she said.

"What, off doing your own thing?" asked Joker. "Speaking of which, where were you? I hadn't heard a word from you since the funeral."

"I was... doing my own thing," Jodie replied. She ignored Aiden's annoyed trill as she looked at Joker. "And where were you?"

"Grounded," Joker replied. "I needed a chance to fly again, but the Alliance wouldn't put me on any other vessels. So when these guys tell me they brought Shepard back to life, I had to jump at it."

Jodie sighed, shaking her head. _I'll have to talk to him later about Shepard,_ she thought. "I see..." said Jodie. She paused, before frowning. "But that can't be the only reason you deserted the Alliance, right? Because this technically counts as desertion, doesn't it?"

"Not if I'm grounded," Joker replied. He sighed, looking up at Jodie. "Look, if you're going to give me a hard time over this, don't bother, okay? I'm not leaving the Commander's side. I'm the only guy who can help him. I'm the only crew member he can trust."

"The only one?" asked Jodie.

"They tell me they tried to find others, but I was the only one available," Joker replied. "So I'm the only one on this mission from the old ship." He then glanced to the side, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I _was_ , until you showed up."

"Sorry to take that burden off of you," said Jodie.

"No, no, it's good," said Joker. "Besides, my legs weren't built to carry burdens. Or to run..." He looked down at the floor. "But it's one I need to carry. I fucked up with Shepard once, Jodie. I can't do that again."

Jodie sighed, remembering how Joker felt during Shepard's funeral. She rubbed the back of her neck, before looking back at Joker. "Fine," she said. "But hopefully it'll be everything you think it is..."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be," said Joker. He then grinned at Jodie. "You don't know what they've got on this base, Jodie."

Jodie frowned. "What've they got?"

Joker smirked. "You'll see," he said. "And no, it's _not_ a pony..."

* * *

Jodie looked through the glass, her hands pressed against it. Aiden gurgled in shock, the two of them looking out to the sight before them.

"What the...?"

"Holy shit."

The ship before them was sleek, but also familiar. Jodie knew that familiar curve: she could pick it out any time. It seemed far larger than she had ever remembered, but it all looked so similar, right down to the thrusters. And right there, she saw the familiar logo emblazoned on the side of the ship, though she also saw a slightly different numbering than what she was used to.

Jodie turned to Shepard, who chuckled as he turned to Joker. "They reconstructed the Normandy?"

"That they did," said Joker. "It'll be just like going home, don't you think?"

Shepard shook his head. "Not really," he said. "It won't be the same without the rest of the old crew. We should convince them to join us."

Jodie could only sigh, though Aiden was able to give a sarcastic gurgle. _Good luck with that,_ Jodie thought.

"I don't know if that'll be possible," she said. She sighed, looking around. "Still, it'll be interesting to see what is in there."

"It will," said Shepard. He turned to Joker, starting to walk past the pilot. "Well, I guess now is when we get onto the ship and see what else is in there."

"Yeah," said Jodie. She looked over to where the gangplank was. "Yeah, we'll see what else is in there, right?"

"Let's hope it's not too bad," said Shepard.

The group then set off for the gangplank, Aiden letting off a series of excited trills.

* * *

Jodie's jaw dropped as soon as she saw this new Normandy's CIC. It was far larger than she remembered, and there were at least a few more technicians lying around. She did not exactly like the black and white color scheme by any means, but the sheer size of it...

She paused by Miranda, watching as she crossed her arms. "Well, we've got our dossiers ready, and we may have to improvise."

"We're looking for the best of the best, right?" Shepard asked.

"That's a bit hard when they evade our attentions," said Jacob. He crossed his arms. "Miranda?"

"We've got a dossier on one Warlord Okeer," said Miranda. "We may wish to prioritize finding him above anyone else."

Jodie frowned. "A krogan warlord?" she asked. "Why?"

"We need a scientist, first and foremost," said Miranda. "We know they use some advanced technology to immobilize the colonists."

"Sure, whatever," said Shepard. "I'm guessing you want me to develop some kind of countermeasure?"

Jodie sighed. "Only if you think being immobilized by whatever they have is a good tactic," she deadpanned.

Jacob snorted in amusement, while Miranda simply rose her eyebrows at Jodie. Shepard sighed, shaking his head. "Good point," Shepard replied. "So do we go after him first?"

" _Acquiring Warlord Okeer seems like the most logical place to start_."

Aiden immediately launched into a scared trill as soon as the disembodied voice spoke. Jodie looked around, Shepard doing likewise as they looked around the ship. "What was that?" asked Jodie.

She then watched as a hologram appeared on a terminal right behind Shepard. It took the form of a blue sphere, standing on top of some holographic stand. A ring surrounded the sphere, and as Jodie watched a series of bars faded out of view on the hologram. " _I am the Normandy's artificial intelligence,_ " it said. " _The crew like to refer to me as EDI._ "

Jodie leaned forward, stepping towards the hologram. "You have an AI on the ship?"

"Cerberus developed," said Miranda. "She mans the war systems."

"So Joker will still get to fly," said Shepard.

" _I do not have access to those systems,_ " EDI mentioned. " _I observe and offer suggestions. Nothing more._ "

Jodie's hair stood on end. "Wait, you can observe the whole ship?" she asked.

" _Yes,_ " said EDI.

Aiden let out a trill, the trill's pitch lowering. _Great_ , thought Jodie. _As if telling Anderson and the others what's going on wasn't hard enough already, I have to do it without this damn AI knowing it..._

"That's... good to know." Jodie chuckled nervously. "God, I hope you're not in the showers."

" _I do not have access to the showers._ "

Shepard nodded. "Good, I'm glad Cerberus isn't run by peeping Toms," he replied. He then looked back to Miranda. "Anything else I should know?"

"Not exactly," said Miranda. "I have other dossiers ready for potential squadmates. Once we have Okeer, we should build our squad up."

"Right," said Shepard as he crossed his arms. "I only wish I had more of the old squad than this."

"We'll see what happens there," said Jacob. "But for now, you've got Jodie, and that's good enough."

Shepard sighed. "Right," he said. He then turned off. "I'll be going to wherever my quarters are. I've got to orient myself here."

"Well, allow me to give you the tour of the ship," said Miranda. "After all, I-"

"I can figure it out myself, thank you," said Shepard. He then turned to the elevator. "I'll come down when we're ready to go."

With this, he walked off, looking to the elevator and surveying it. He then pressed the call button, the elevator coming in quickly. Shepard disappeared behind its doors, before he vanished out of sight.

Jodie sighed, looking over at the two Cerberus operatives. "And where do I go, in the meantime?" she asked.

"Depends," said Jacob. "We have two observation rooms on either side of the ship on the crew deck."

Jodie nodded. "Beats being the ship's designated vagrant," she joked. _Besides, Aiden, you might like the ability to ride outside the ship, right?_

The entity trilled with some amount of caution. After that, Jodie tapped her fingers on her elbow. "I'm sorry I don't have more equipment right now, but... well, I tend to pack rather lightly around these things."

"We've got plenty here," said Miranda quickly. "Is that all?"

Jodie glanced over at Miranda, before turning back to Jacob. "Yeah, I'm good," she said. "Just... give me a week or two to sort things out in my head."

"We don't have time to worry about that," Miranda replied. "We only have the mission."

Jodie sighed, before walking away. "Whatever you say," she said.

And with this, she made her own way to the elevators, wringing her hands together nervously as she swallowed a lump in her throat, looking around the new Normandy.

* * *

Jodie was almost tempted to leave the light off as she stepped into the observation room. The view of space from the room was unlike any view she had ever had before, and as the stars moved slightly, could only watch in wonder. She stepped towards the window, placing her hand on it as she smiled broadly.

 _Aiden, isn't this beautiful?_ she asked.

Aiden gurgled in confirmation. After a little bit, Jodie stepped away from the window, looking at the rest of the room. She saw little couches strewn about. The room was otherwise sparsely decorated, and there was no real bed in the room.

"Looks like I literally got put on the couch," she said.

Immediately, she saw EDI's blue globe come up again. " _Apologies,_ " said EDI. " _We were not expecting a new recruit so soon after the beginning of our mission._ "

Jodie eyed EDI suspiciously, before she walked over and sat down on one of the couches. "Sure," she said. She then sat on the couch.

" _I_ _could not help but scan your vital signs when you first met us,_ " said EDI. " _There's something strange about you._ "

Jodie scoffed. "There are lots of strange things about me," she fired back. "Didn't your Illusive Man's dossier tell you that much?"

" _I do not have one for you in my archives,_ " EDI replied. " _I likely will when Operative Lawson updates it._ "

"Well, that's whatever," said Jodie. She then let out a yawn, the insanity of the day around her finally catching up to her. "I'm going to get some sleep."

" _Do you want me to lock the doors?_ "

Jodie blinked, looking over at the blue AI. She leaned forward, frowning in confusion. "You'd do that?"

" _I can additionally warn anyone not to disturb you._ "

Jodie paused, looking at the floor in confusion. She wondered briefly if this was usual for the new AI to do, or if it was just trying to get on her good side. She knew Cerberus, but she also knew how Shepard was. The thought had crossed her mind that EDI was likely exion in origin, but the fact she did not know either way was a little unsettling. She paused, before looking at the blue sphere nervously.

 _God, I just wish I could trust this thing,_ she thought.

"Sure," she said. "I'd appreciate that."

EDI's sphere flared up a little. " _Oh, one more thing: Operative Taylor wanted to speak to you when you're free,_ " she said.

Jodie nodded. "Thank you, EDI, I'll keep that in mind," she said.

And with this, she turned onto her side, EDI's blue hologram disappearing from sight. Jodie grabbed one of the pillows, noticing just how much space there was on the couch. She then laid her head on the pillow, and for once sleep cam rather quickly to Jodie.

* * *

Jodie woke up to Aiden trilling softly at her. Jodie slowly sat up, tiredly looking up at the ceiling as she laid on the couch for a second. She shifted, looking out to the stars outside the window. She was able to see a planet beneath the Normandy, however, and as she looked on, she noted it was very different from the one on which Freedom's Progress was on.

She then looked to her omni-tool. When she opened it, she found no new messages. It was then that she felt an anxiety creep up on her, one that made her blood freeze in place as she thought about it: nobody had sent her any messages. She glanced around at the ship around her, nearly asking Aiden aloud what she had been thinking when she remembered that there was an AI in the room with her. She then turned, laying back on the couch facing up towards the ceiling.

 _Shit... None of that was a dream, was it?_ she asked.

Aiden gurgled softly. Jodie sighed, shaking her head as she placed her hand behind her head. _God, I hope Lyra got back to the Fleet with news about me,_ she thought. _The sooner Anderson knows about what's happened, the better..._ She closed her eyes. _He probably doesn't even have any other way to find out what I'm doing..._

The entity chirped softly, before Jodie heard a small whoosh. _I doubt that, Aiden,_ she thought. _You know how tough it is to infiltrate Cerberus at this point. And now to get communications out without this EDI knowing about it..._ She let out a bitter chuckle. _God, the situations I've gotten myself into. You'd think they'd stop being so crazy after a while, but nope!_

Aiden could only trill his agreement. Jodie placed her hands on her belly, letting out a soft sigh as she looked up. She then closed her eyes, letting out a soft sigh. _Do you think we'll ever actually stop doing things like this, Aiden?_

Jodie was greeted by silence, which she took as an indication to continue. _I mean, here we are, behind enemy lines, working for government people, and all that. And we're back to where we started before I came here: undercover work for some government agency. It's like fate wants us to keep doing this, you know? I'm just... I want to know when it'll end._

At first, there was mostly silence in the air. After a bit, Aiden clicked, before Jodie felt her omni-tool vibrate. Frowning, she sat up, opening the omni-tool and seeing the image creator had been opened. She then opened it, seeing a childish picture of a house, just like the one Jodie grew up in. Drawn on the porch was Jodie, and notably, she was alone. She could not quite tell, but from the way Aiden trilled a little, she had the feeling it was meant to be serene. However, Aiden then trilled suddenly, before the image on-screen erased itself.

 _It would be nice,_ she thought. She then sighed, turning to the door. _I guess you're right, though. We can't enjoy it, not until we've done what we can to help people here._ She sighed, before sitting, facing the stars. _I wonder who else is on this ship, aside from us. You saw all those crew members there, you have to-_

" _I see you are awake, Jodie Holmes. Our ship's psychologist wanted to speak to you._ "

Jodie turned, looking to the blue hologram of EDI. She brushed some hair out of her face, frowning as she did so. "Psychologist?" she asked. "What would this ship need a psychologist for?"

" _As this is a high-stress mission, she is here to monitor the mental health of all personnel on-board,_ " said EDI. " _It will simply be a small questionnaire, nothing more._ "

Jodie sighed. Aiden rumbled lowly, but Jodie could only bite her lower lip in response. "Send her in," she said. _It can't be that bad, after all..._

" _Acknowledged,_ " EDI replied.

With this, EDI disappeared. As soon as she did, the door opened. Jodie looked up, seeing a tall woman with bright red hair enter. Jodie was certain it was natural red, and the face that looked at her seemed overly cheerful. Jodie noted the Cerberus uniform, which matched the other uniforms she had seen on the Normandy SR-2 up to that point.

"Jodie Holmes?" asked the red-headed woman.

Jodie glanced to the side. "Who else would be in here at this time?" Aiden let out a flat chirp in reply, and every muscle in her body tensed up to keep from giving an amused grin in reply.

The red-head smiled. "A joker, I see," she said. "I always did wonder when we'd see two of them."

"I'm not that much of a joker," said Jodie with a shrug. She then looked up, smiling. "And you are...?"

"Kelly Chambers," she replied. She held her hand out. "Pleasure to meet you, Jodie."

Jodie stood up and shook Kelly's hand. "Same here, I guess," she said. She then glanced to the side. "Well, as much of a pleasure as it _can_ be to meet a Cerberus agent, anyway."

"I assure you, we mean no harm," Kelly replied. She then sat down on a couch opposite Jodie's, adjusting her position slightly as she sat down. "You are, after all, one of the original crew members of the Normandy."

"Yeah," said Jodie as she looked down. "That feels so weird, though, that he plucked me up because of that. Lots of things have changed, you know."

"Perhaps, but it's not that big a deal," said Kelly. "After all, you still have the Commander's trust, and that'll help him out a lot. He doesn't trust _anyone_ on this ship."

 _And for good reason,_ Jodie thought. Aiden chirped in the affirmative as she glanced up.

"I wouldn't either, in his situation," Jodie said. She then leaned forward. "And it's true that Shepard was dead?"

"It is, yes," said Kelly. "Cerberus had to spend hundreds of millions of credits to get him back. It almost hit the billions, but the project was accelerated."

Aiden chirped in surprise. "Accelerated?" asked Jodie.

"We hit a breakthrough earlier than expected." Kelly shrugged. "I don't know all the details, I wasn't that close to the project. But, from what I heard, it was just what they needed to get Shepard to live."

"And just in time..." Jodie frowned. "And nobody thinks that's strange."

Kelly shrugged. "We're not about to look a gift horse in the mouth on this one," said Kelly. She paused, before leaning forward. "I'm not going to do that, and I doubt anyone else in Cerberus would either."

Aiden gave a low gurgle. _Yeah, this is suspicious to me too,_ Jodie replied.

But Jodie simply sat back, nodding. "I see," she said, tapping her fingers against her knee.

"Do you always question everything around you?" Kelly asked.

Jodie nodded. "I have to," she replied. "People used me when I didn't, and I'm not going to let that happen again."

"So you like to be in charge," said Kelly. She nodded. "So why'd you say yes to this conscription?"

"Well..." Jodie paused to the side. She knew her reasons, but she also knew that Kelly could not know those reasons. She pondered for a little, exhaling softly.

Finally, she looked up at Kelly. "He's earned my trust," she said. "I've been around him longer than anyone on the ship, so that's got to count for _something_."

Jodie exhaled. _Jesus, that hurt to say,_ she thought. Aiden trilled in reply, the entity going silent.

"I see," said Kelly. She then leaned forward. "Well, the Commander will need more people like that soon enough. He's had a hell of a time adjusting to this ship as is."

"Well, I'm here now," said Jodie. "And we'll see what happens." She then looked up at the ceiling quietly. "You ever feel like you're a part of something bigger almost by accident?"

"Not before now," said Kelly. She then leaned forward. "I heard the stories behind how you ended up on the Normandy. I bet that defines some of your life story, right?"

Jodie chuckled. "You have _no_ idea," she replied.

Aiden could only let out a short trill of amusement as Jodie shifted on the couch.

* * *

"And you call this little runt a friend? Strange company you keep, Shepard."

"It's my company, and I can keep it with whoever I wish."

Jodie looked up at the large brown-crested krogan on the other end of the table. The krogan eyed her suspiciously, leaning on the table as he narrowed his eyes at her. She then turned to Shepard, seeing Miranda and Jacob across the table from the krogan. Everyone leered at the krogan across the table, and he met every one of their glances back.

The krogan then snorted. "Right." He then stood up, leaning towards Shepard. "Well, we had a deal, Shepard. I get to work on my project, I help you. Now where the hell do I drop my project on this old rust bucket?"

Miranda bristled at that, but said nothing. However, Shepard leaned forward. "For the record, this is the most advanced ship ever made in this galaxy," he said. "You'd do well not to call it a rust bucket."

"And where do I put my project on this _rust bucket_?" the krogan asked.

And then, EDI's avatar came up. " _There is space in a spare room in the engineering deck_ ," EDI replied. " _It is not close to your position, but I can monitor the tube's systems when you are not present._ "

The krogan turned to the blue hologram. "This some kind of VI?" he asked.

"AI, actually," Miranda replied. "That is EDI."

And at this, the old krogan smirked. "An AI, huh?" he asked. He then chuckled. "Cerberus is so desperate for help they're recruiting aliens, _and_ creating AIs to do their dirty work for them." He chuckled. "I think I will be _very_ entertained here." He then turned to Shepard. "Fine. You've got yourself a deal, Shepard. Just show me what I need to do, and I'll get on it right away."

With this, he walked towards the exit of the room. He paused at the doorway, and then turned to Miranda. "Oh, I'll need some people to move the tube in to where it needs to go. I may be a krogan, but I can't do _that_ much heavy lifting."

" _I will assign some crew members to assist you,_ " EDI said immediately.

The krogan chuckled, before he walked away.

Jodie then turned to Shepard with a frown on his face. "That's a scientist?" she asked.

"Of sorts," said Miranda. "Technically, he is a krogan warlord, but we had picked him up for something special as something of a biological engineer."

Jodie frowned. "In what way?" she asked.

"He's making a test tube krogan," Jacob replied. "Wants him to be the perfect krogan."

"Okeer thinks the krogan have grown weak," said Miranda. She shook her head. "I can't believe the Illusive Man wanted us to recruit him. He might actually be insane."

Jodie frowned. Aiden chirped in reply, before Jodie nodded. "And he's our scientist," she said.

"Looks like it," said Miranda. She sighed. "Well, I have reports to fill. I'll be downstairs, hoping the krogan doesn't work against us." With this, Miranda stepped out of the room.

"And I should check the weapons," said Jacob. "I need to get on that. I'll be in the armory if you need me, Shepard." With this, Jacob followed Miranda, the door closing behind him.

Jodie frowned, turning to Shepard. "And why was I called up here, again?" she asked.

"Because I needed to talk to you about something," said Shepard. "It's about this mission, and it's... kind of important."

Jodie paused, looking at Shepard. "And what is this thing?"

Shepard looked down. "Well..." He then leaned forward, shaking his head. "This is a suicide mission."

Jodie remained silent. She blinked in surprise, before leaning towards Shepard. "What?"

"Suicide mission." Shepard sighed. "I'd been meaning to tell you before now, but... With all the chaos that's been going on, that got put on a backburner."

Aiden grumbled lowly as Jodie's frown resurfaced. "Really?" she asked. She then crossed her arms. "And you didn't think I would've liked to know that before I came onto the ship?"

"I didn't know it was a suicide mission when I picked you up," Shepard replied. "Now that we know the Collectors are behind this, we know it might become one."

"So you're telling me this now because...?" she asked.

"Because I'm trusting you to have my back," said Shepard. He then looked around the room. "Trust me. We'll be alright."

Jodie frowned, before crossing her arms. "Sure," she said. She then turned away, walking to the door. "Well, with that shocking revelation, I'm going to go downstairs. I haven't been able to eat breakfast yet since Kelly Chambers talked to me."

Shepard nodded. "Kelly Chambers, hm?" he asked. "She told me you could be a little guarded about your past."

Jodie stopped at the door, her hand hovering right at the door control. "Yeah," she said. "What of it?"

"I always thought there was something quiet about you," said Shepard. "Do you think you can tell me about it some day?"

Aiden let out a rather loud gurgle at this. Jodie herself had to bite her lip to keep from bursting into laughter at what Shepard had said. "That will depend," she said. "But do you trust me?"

"I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't," Shepard replied.

Jodie nodded. "Alright," she said. She then tapped the door controls, before stepping out of the room. She paused, crossing her arms. "I'll think about it. But some of it's painful to bring up. I'm just telling you that now."

And with this, she walked in the direction of the armory. And as she opened the door to the armory and saw Jacob Taylor maintaining an assault rifle, she paused.

_Whose bright idea was it to put the armory somewhere that wasn't the bottom deck?_

* * *

Jodie stepped up to the giant container. It had been situated right by engineering, and she had only just gotten time to inspect it up close. At first, she had wondered, thinking about Okeer's madness and thinking his creation was not something she would want to be close to.

But as she approached the test tube-looking thing, Jodie looked deep into it. Within was a krogan, almost completely formed already. His head crest was rugged and rocky, a far cry from the smooth head crests Jodie was used to seeing. It was a color she could not tell in the blue fluid of the tube, though she guessed it was some strange shade of brown. Jodie then paused, looking down and realizing this test subject krogan was completely naked within the tube.

She paused, looking away and seeing power armor stored to the side. She then looked up at Aiden, hearing him trill softly.

 _You're thinking he could use a friend?_ Jodie asked.

Aiden gurgled his agreement, before trilling further. Jodie breathed in, nodding as she stepped back. _Yeah, we were,_ she thought. _At least we weren't put in a tube._

The entity clicked, before whooshing away. Jodie then sighed, walking away from the tube to the door.

" _Curious?_ "

Jodie turned to EDI's blue hologram as it appeared by the door. "Just a little," said Jodie. "When I heard 'experiment', I wasn't expecting a fully-grown krogan."

" _Neither would most,_ " EDI replied. " _Okeer has given me strict orders that he is the only one allowed to tamper with his equipment._ "

"I wasn't going to tamper with it," Jodie replied. "I was just looking."

" _Just as long as you do not go further,_ " said EDI. The AI then paused. " _Will you be going to the briefing room?_ "

Jodie frowned. "Why?" she asked.

" _I have been informed that the Commander wishes to bring you onto your first operation,_ " said EDI. " _We will be setting out for it soon._ "

Jodie nodded. "Well, I guess it was coming eventually," she stated. She paused. "Tell the commander I'll be up shortly."

" _Acknowledged._ " With this, EDI's hologram went away.

Jodie glanced at Aiden as she tapped the door control open. _That AI is going to do that with us all the time, isn't she?_ she asked.

Aiden gurgled in an unamused manner. Jodie could only nod, before walking off to the elevator. She then paused, opening her omni-tool as she walked.

_I don't know if I can keep quiet and depend on others to tell people anymore. Aiden, I'll need your help to get this past EDI. Do you think you can do it?_

The entity only trilled in the affirmative.

 _Good,_ Jodie thought. _I'm sending this to someone who I_ know _will tell Anderson as soon as possible._

* * *

"Plenty of rest required. Do not let him move from bed for two days. Can return to work after that."

"Thank you, doctor. You heard him, Mshk, you need to rest."

"Mmhm. Thank you."

The two batarians then walked off. Mordin nodded, looking around right as the second batarian hoisted his friend onto a wheelchair Mordin had supplied. With this, the two batarians smiled at the salarian, before they made their way to the exit of the clinic. As they moved out, they were flanked by two guards in white armor, the two armed men walking alongside the two batarians.

"And I think that's all of them." Mordin turned to his attention to a turian who stood close by. He donned the same white armor that the other guards had, including a white helmet with a gold insignia that looked like a snake. This turian turned to Mordin, holding his assault rifle in his arms as he bowed his head to the salarian. "Thank you, doctor. I know you're not used to so many patients, but we wanted to make sure the civilians caught in the crossfire were tended to."

"Noble, but civilian deaths common on Omega," Mordin said. "Still, good to see people changing that."

"We're doing what we can in small steps," said the turian. "And hey, we're looking good doing it. We have to get the style points in there somehow."

"White armor not typical on Omega," Mordin said. "New merc group?"

"Nah, we're not interested in breaking the law," said the turian. "But we're going to change this place. Give the merc groups a run for their money."

Mordin gave a wan grin, looking over at the turian. "Mercs powerful," he said. "Cannot be completely removed."

The turian tilted his head forward. "Watch me," he said. He then stepped back. "Anyway, you're not affiliated with anyone, so we won't ask you to pay any kind of tax to remain safe."

"Good," said Mordin. He then gestured to the security robots to the side. "Did not want to order them to open fire on you."

The turian glanced at the robots. "That would have been a very awkward start to our business relationship," he said. He then turned back to the salarian. "If we ever need any medical help again, we will seek you out. In the meantime, if you should hear of Mahadood, you've met him in person."

Mordin nodded. "Will keep in mind," he said. "Have business to take care of."

"And I have mine." The turian turned. "Thank you for your services, doctor."

And with this, the turian left, exiting the clinic. Mordin heard the turian give orders to the gaggle of guards he had with him, right as the door closed behind him.

Mordin let out a breath he did not know he had held. He then nodded to the receptionist, before walking back into the body of the clinic. As he walked into one of the recently-cleaned operating rooms, he nodded to a tall human with brown hair. The assistant nodded to Mordin.

"Glad we managed to patch them all up," said Daniel. "Jesus, there was a lot of them."

"Just another day on Omega," Mordin observed.

"More so than usual," Daniel replied. He then gestured to a cabinet in the back. "Kalo went right back to the lab, by the way. He had been busy analyzing something when the first of those civilians were brought in."

Mordin nodded. "Thank you, Daniel," he said. "Will go back there now."

"Good," said Daniel. "He asked me to tell you to go back there."

"Clean clinic," said Mordin. "Will be back."

Daniel nodded, before he returned to scrubbing a little bloodstain off of one of the berths that had been used.

Mordin then turned, walking over to the cabinet. He pushed towards it slightly, pressing his hand against the cabinet gently before grabbing the side of it and pushing. He grunted from the effort, but slowly the cabinet began to move to his left. As soon as it moved far enough to the left, Mordin stepped through, and then the secret door automatically began to move back in place. He then looked back at the hidden door, seeing the knob on the nearby wall, and the thick wooden plank with the hole in its side. They had been unable to find any space on Omega that could be safe, so Mordin and Kalo had to improvise with an unoccupied chamber within a nearby building. It had taken them a month just to build the site to withstand any kind of assault, and particularly with such primitive materials.

The salarian knew how painfully primitive it all was. In the end, though, he knew it would be alright: STG training had taught him that sometimes, the primitive answer was the best one.

Mordin turned his attention to Kalo, who had returned to the terminal after aiding him with the influx of patients to the clinic. The quarian was hunched over it, and Mordin already knew that it was the code from the nanomachines the two of them had been researching together.

The salarian walked over. "Interesting find?" asked Mordin.

"Yes, I think," said Kalo. "I had actually meant to tell you about it before all of those patients came in, but this has been open since I left to help you and Daniel." Kalo pointed to the screen, Mordin seeing a series of filed. "I believe I have cracked into the base coding of these nanomachines. It looks quite heavily based on directives."

"Would make sense, if meant for medicine," Mordin mused. "Nanobots take data, data goes to database, comes back with diagnosis. Also useful to send data to nanobots, in case of gene therapy."

"Yes," said Kalo. He leaned forward, changing projections. "And it is indeed very comprehensive. It lacks the capacity for lots of system memory, though." He then pointed to another file on the holographic interface. "See there? That is the size of the data bank these things can hold."

Mordin looked over, before frowning at the low number he noticed. "Twenty megabytes?" Mordin asked. He then turned to Kalo. "Low number. Unusual in technology."

"I also found a line of coding that can automatically wipe data," said Kalo.

"No archive?" asked Mordin.

"If you are right about the communication between the database and the nanobots, they probably archive your medical records on the database," Kalo pointed out. "You know far better than anyone the archive would be useless if it is kept in there."

"Very true," Mordin conceded. He then turned to Kalo. "Any other interesting find?"

"Well... there is something that troubles me." Kalo then changed to another screen, going deep into a particular folder before pointing at one particular program. "This file here is what troubles me."

Mordin walked forward as Kalo shifted slightly to the side. "Therapy?" asked Mordin. "Strange word, but telling. Function?"

"I tried to execute the program, but it gave an error message saying it needed an organic host to do whatever it does," said Kalo. He then opened the program, Mordin looking on as a screen came up, asking for a password and a username. "Additionally, this program is password-protected. When I hacked into it to see its settings, I had to fight an additional five firewalls to finally get into the program."

"Worrying indeed," Mordin agreed. He then turned to Kalo. "Live specimens may be necessary."

"I do not feel comfortable bringing in live specimens," Kalo replied.

"Very few options left," the salarian replied. He paused, narrowing his eyes as he tapped his chin with his finger. "Non-sentient examples available, of course. Guards have connections to vorcha, can acquire varren. Would require building of containment cell, varren known to be violent. But does not require sentience."

"And how do we study the effect of whatever this is?" Kalo asked.

Mordin grinned at Kalo. "Studied many things in time with STG," said Mordin. "Studied often on varren. Know varren like book."

Kalo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I hope you are right," said Kalo. He then turned back to the terminal. "There are also other settings in this program that would–"

And then, Kalo's omni-tool sounded. The quarian frowned, before seeing the message notification that came up. It was marked high priority, of course, but when he read the name attached to the message, his heart froze.

"Important message?" asked Mordin.

"From Jodie," said Kalo. He opened his omni-tool, reading the message quickly. "Whatever this is, this must be..."

And then, the quarian trailed off. Mordin frowned, seeing the way Kalo's shoulders had tensed. He blinked for a second, before walking behind Kalo again to read the message.

The message itself gave him reason to pause:

" _Kalo,_

 _Can't talk. AI watching. Shepard alive. Behind enemy lines. Gathering team. Collectors. Tell Anderson._ "


	2. Chapter 2

"And you're sure of this."

" _Yes sir. You know Jodie, she would never say a thing like that to play with us._ "

"Thank you, Kalo, but as it is this message is not enough. You say she cannot receive messages?"

" _I doubt very much that she can. If I know an AI from Cerberus or this other galaxy, they monitor the information they receive quite well. She would not be able to get one past it so easily, and she would never know to let one of our messages through._ "

"I see. But the fact is, I will need a debrief in person as well. This is dangerous territory Jodie has entered now, and we'll need a more direct update than a pair of second-hand messages."

" _A pair of messages, sir?_ "

"Your admiralty board forwarded a message from the quarians Jodie was with: they told the admirals the same thing you're telling me now."

" _Then that is just more proof to support her! We have to help her!_ "

"I'm afraid there's only one way she can be helped now, Kalo, and that is not in our hands. But, there is something that she can use to her advantage."

" _And what is that?_ "

"It would be difficult to tell you now: it is classified on the highest level. But let's say, she may be able to get help from an unlikely source."

" _I see. I hope you are right, Anderson..._ "

"She's smart, Kalo. She'll figure out where to look eventually."

* * *

Jodie looked up in wonder at the cityscape that she found herself in. She had to admit that all she had heard of Illium was horror stories Liara had told her about how much of a cesspool it was. And yet, looking at the vast skyscrapers from just the docking bay, and seeing all the people running about in their busy day...

She had to admit, it was a great deal more sophisticated than she had expected. This put her at ease a little, though she still heard Aiden grumble softly as he surveyed the surroundings.

Jodie then stepped behind Shepard, looking over to Miranda quietly. "Our contact should be close by," she said.

"The one that knows where the assassin is," said Shepard.

"Yes," said Miranda. "He should know someone with enough information to get us to him, or at least tell us where he's going to be."

"We don't know where he is, right?" asked Jodie.

"He's notoriously difficult to track down," said Miranda. "But our sources have put him here. I don't know how much longer he will be here for, but I don't think it'll be very long."

"Yeah, I figured," said Shepard.

They then walked into an area with a bunch of kiosks. Jodie blinked in surprise at just how many kiosks were visible from there, and also at the variety of vendors. She had heard that Illium was mainly populated by asari, but when she saw other kinds of vendors, she blinked in surprise. She saw a few volus vendors as well, and even one human vendor negotiating with a tall turian off to the side. Jodie blinked in surprise, looking on as she walked with Shepard.

"Busy place," said Jodie.

"Our contact is in a less busy part of this city," Miranda replied. "Don't want to attract too much attention here."

Jodie took another look around. "No kidding," she said. She then turned to Miranda, crossing her arms. "So where is this contact, anyway?"

* * *

"Seryna?"

A purple-faced asari kept her gaze hooked on the terminal, typing away without looking at them. "Who wants to know?"

Shepard frowned, crossing his arms. "The name's Shepard," he said. "My face is up here, and I need to know where the drell assassin is."

The asari blinked in reply. The asari then turned to a fellow asari who was typing away at another desk, leaning close. "Tana, cover for me."

The other asari nodded even though her back was turned, before Seryna stood up. She glared at Shepard, before walking out of the little office area she had been working in. Shepard followed, Jodie and Miranda turning and doing the same as they stepped out of the office and onto a nearby balcony.

Seryna then stopped, turning back to Shepard. "Yeah, I know who he is," she said. "I didn't hire him, but I may have given him information."

"You could tell me where I can find him," asked Shepard.

Seryna chuckled loudly. "You can find him, but you won't stop him," she said.

"We're not looking to stop him," said Shepard. "We're actually hoping to find him."

"Oh?" Seryna asked.

"Yeah." Jodie shrugged. "We may need his services after this, and we couldn't exactly get a hold of him."

"Mm, I see." Seryna nodded. She then crossed her arms. "Well, you might be in luck, provided you can convince him that you can help him."

"Why is that?" asked Shepard.

Seryna nodded. "He's looking for information," she said. "He wouldn't tell me what he was looking for, but he told me he needed a convenient way to break into a slave directory that is kept here on Illium."

Jodie frowned. "You mean they keep slaves here?" she asked.

"It's Illium," Seryna replied. "Slavery's still legal here."

Jodie frowned, looking to the floor. "That's fucked up," said Jodie.

"People do call Illium a nicer Omega," said Miranda. She then turned to Seryna. "What I want to know is why he came here."

"He wouldn't say," said Seryna. "All I know is that he's convinced that what he's looking for wouldn't be in the hands of batarian slavers."

Shepard nodded. "So where is this slave directory?" he asked. "If we met him halfway, we might be able to contact him there."

"It's somewhere in the lower wards," said Seryna. "Right in the middle of Eclipse territory, actually. It's heavily guarded, and one of the more policed spots of Illium. You'll want to be careful."

Shepard grinned. "Hasn't stopped me before," he said. He then stepped back, looking up at the landscape of Illium behind them. "Now, how do we get over there?"

"I'll take you there myself," Seryna replied. She then walked past Shepard, gesturing to them. "Right this way."

Shepard nodded, before following Seryna. Jodie and Miranda glanced at each other briefly, before they both turned and followed Shepard to wherever Seryna would take them.

* * *

The transport pulled up to a small precinct, Jodie peering out of the window as the craft moved close to a landing sight. She noticed a small law enforcement office close to where they landed, and she frowned a little as the doors opened.

"They have law enforcement here," she said.

"Right by Eclipse territory," said Seryna. "From what I understand, they usually pay the enforcement handsomely to own a warehouse."

"And everybody knows that?" asks Shepard. He growled, before vaulting onto the ground next to the transport.

"It's just how it is around here," the asari replied as Miranda and Jodie followed Shepard's lead. "If you see him, make sure not to get him killed, yeah?"

Shepard nodded. "We will," he said.

"Good," said Seryna. "Don't be a stranger!"

With this, the transport doors closed, and Seryna's transport sped off. Miranda looked over at the transport, scoffing slightly.

"Didn't even have the courtesy to stay?" she asked.

Jodie shrugged. "Hey, she did take valuable time from work to take us here," she said. "If she doesn't want to get fired, she'd be best running back as fast as possible."

"I guess." Miranda then looked around. "Well, we know he will be searching for databases in Eclipse territory. Territory that is very close to here."

"She said it was in a nearby warehouse," said Jodie. "And that we can't miss it once we find it."

Shepard nodded. "We'll need a little more than that, though," he said. He then opened his omni-tool, navigating it and opening a map. "If we can hack into a nearby database, we can figure out where it is."

Jodie frowned, before crossing her arms. "And we can't just ask them ourselves?"

The commander glared at Jodie, before turning to her and lifting his arms. "Yes, officer, we'd like to sneak into an Eclipse warehouse to figure out where all the indentured servants live, can you tell us where they live?" he asked sarcastically.

Jodie shook her head, uncrossing her arms as Aiden let out an annoyed trill. "Sure," Jodie replied. "Because common courtesy is that thing _other_ people do."

"He does bring up a good point," Miranda commented. "If these guys are in Eclipse pockets, I don't think they'll be so willing to spill that."

 _Be that as it may, that doesn't give him the right to fire back at me like that_ , Jodie thought. Aiden chirped his agreement, before Jodie stepped forward.

"It doesn't matter," Shepard replied. He then walked close to the police station, sitting by it. "Just give my little program a bit of time."

Jodie frowned. "Program?" she asked.

"He has a special program on his omni-tool that nobody seems to understand," Miranda replied.

Jodie blinked, looking to Shepard. "You never told me you had one of those!" she said.

"Recent addition," said Shepard. "I got my omni-tool modified slightly between the time you left and the time I died."

"Oh." Jodie nodded, before gripping her elbow and glancing to the side. "Do you really think we'll be able to find this assassin in time?"

"We don't know," said Miranda. "But it's our best shot so far. The Illusive Man had him on our short list, and this is the closest we've come to recruiting him in a while."

"Good to know." Jodie then turned to Miranda. "What do we know about him?"

"We know his name is Thane," said Miranda. "He's a drell, and is considered the best in the business."

"Stealth combatant..." Jodie rubbed her chin in thought. "I guess you'd need more specialists like that if we hope to infiltrate... wherever the Collectors live."

"That was the thought process, yes," Miranda replied. "And it just so happens Thane is the best at what he does, from what our reports say."

Jodie nodded. "I'm surprised Cerberus is recruiting aliens now," she said.

Miranda crossed her arms. "In this case, this mission is too important not to get the very best," she said. "And if the best are other species, so be it."

Jodie frowned, but before she could say much more Shepard's omni-tool beeped. "Got it," he said. He then gestured to the two women, walking off past the police station. "Follow me, please."

Miranda sighed, before nodding. "You'll understand eventually," she said. "The mission comes first."

With this, the operative walked off. Jodie watched her go, before letting out a soft sigh. _This is going to be an interesting mission..._

Aiden chirped his affirmation. Jodie swallowed a small lump in her throat. _Well, we might as well see where this goes,_ she thought.

Jodie then began to follow Miranda, jogging briefly to catch up with them as Shepard waited for them right at the mouth of an alleyway. He nodded in confirmation, and said something Jodie didn't catch before turning into the alley.

And as she entered the alley behind Miranda, Jodie's mind wandered.

 _Thane_ , _huh? I wonder if he's ever been on Kahje..._

* * *

Jodie edged forward, her assault rifle out. Shepard and Miranda snuck around the wall, with Shepard taking the point as he neared an edge of the wall. As soon as he approached it, he leaned over, indicating to Miranda and Jodie to stop. As soon as they did, he peered over, looking past the corner.

He then nodded, beckoning them forward with a gesture of his hand as he looked on. Jodie nodded as Shepard turned around the corner, before she and Miranda both followed him, their rifles raised. They found the hallway was clear, and so Shepard looked forward, flattening his back as he approached the door.

He opened his omni-tool, Jodie noting he was checking his blueprints briefly. He then nodded, before directing someone to the opposite side of the door.

"There's a room in here," he whispered. "We can get more information here."

Aiden clicked at Jodie twice. She frowned, before nodding. "You sure there isn't anyone in there?" she asked.

"No," said Shepard. "But that's what these guns are for."

Jodie nodded, letting out a sigh. _Well,_ I'll _be ready for them, at any rate._

Shepard nodded to Miranda as she took a position across the door from Shepard, before reaching his hand forward. He then smacked the door control, swiveling around with his weapon held out. Jodie whirled around, seeing two surprised asari as they turned from terminals. The first one whirled around, quickly grabbing a pistol from her holster: she had barely managed to lift it up to fire before Shepard had fired several rounds into her. He quickly turned, shooting at the only other resident as she too had grabbed a submachine pistol. As soon as the two bodies hit the floor, they rushed in, Shepard making his way to the nearby terminals.

"We could've used them for information," said Miranda.

"We could've, if they hadn't tried to shoot us first," said Shepard. He then pointed to the terminal. "Let's see what my program can dig up."

"Something good, I hope," said Jodie.

Shepard flashed her a smile. "Just watch," he said confidently. He then approached, Jodie watching as he extended his omni-tool.

And then, Jodie watched as a green spark travelled between the omni-tool and the terminal. She found she had to curl her toes immediately to keep from tensing up anywhere else on her body, and as she watched a bunch of code flash on the screen, she recalled how she had seen similar sparks between Kim and a terminal she had used to demonstrate to the geth what to look for with an exion.

 _No way..._ Jodie thought. _He's got an_ exion _on his omni-tool?_

Aiden gave a confused trill. _No kidding,_ Jodie replied. _How does it even fit on there?_

Aiden trilled, before Jodie blinked, standing up. _You're right, of course, but that doesn't make it any less crazy._ She then stepped back, watching the terminal scroll through more text.

And then, the terminal beeped, before Shepard lifted his omni-tool. Jodie watched the green spark flit between the two electronic pieces, before turning to Miranda.

"Got it," said Shepard.

"What did you find?" asked Miranda.

Shepard opened his omni-tool, quickly reading the data as it came up there. "There's no information about a slave registry on that terminal," he replied. "But I do have a location. Seems we're going to be breaking in big time."

Jodie nodded, gripping her rifle a little harder. "We're going right to the center of this place, aren't we?" she asked.

"No, Jodie, we're going to the store to pick up a copy of the latest Blasto movie," said Shepard, the sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Miranda sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that," she said. "And knowing you, it's not going to be subtle."

Shepard paused, before closing his omni-tool and grabbing his gun again. "Probably not," he admitted, before walking to the door and heading out. "Come on, we've got a server to find." He then paused, opening his omni-tool one last time. "Oh, and before I do much, I'm patching into their comms. It'll give us a good idea of what to expect when we get to where we need to go."

Jodie nodded. "As you say, sir," she said.

With this, she followed Shepard out of the room, moving at a brisk pace as they traversed down the hall again.

* * *

Shepard and the group eventually came across a very large room full of crates. Shepard leaned over the end of it, seeing a single asari commando in the command post on the far end. She was busy looking at a datapad, and none of the three could get a read on her look. They all noticed that there were two guards standing outside the command post, all of them overseeing the room.

Miranda frowned at the crates, before shaking her head. "Of course," she said.

Jodie frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"We're in a red sand storehouse," said Miranda.

"Red sand?" Jodie asked, leaning towards the operative.

"It's a psychotropic drug," Miranda replied. "It unnaturally induces biotic abilities in those who don't have them, and enhances the biotic ability of those who do."

"So it's a biotic enhancer," said Jodie. She nodded, breathing in slightly. "Got it."

"I don't like red sand..." said Shepard.

"Not many do," said Miranda. She then looked up to the command post, before turning back to Shepard. "Any chatter on their comms, commander?"

"No," Shepard replied. "If he's moving, they don't know where he is."

Miranda nodded grimly. "And at this rate, we'll never find him." She rubbed her chin. "Unless..."

Jodie looked to Miranda. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?" she asked.

"We may have to make a little noise," said Miranda. "Put the security on alert. If we do that, we might be able to pinpoint him."

"That's a little risky," Jodie replied, shaking her head. "And I'm not sure how I feel about–"

"Finally," said Shepard, cracking his neck. "I was wondering when we'd see some action." He then looked beyond. "So we keep them occupied, and figure out where he is."

Jodie sighed. "Great, we're going with a crazy plan." Aiden chirped his lack of amusement as well. "I guess I'm volunteering to go find this drell once we have a pinpoint on where he is."

"Looks like it," said Miranda. She then frowned. "Looks like we're shooting up some red sand."

Before she could do much, however, Shepard shook his head. "Hell no," said Shepard. "We're not shooting up that damn red sand."

Miranda frowned, before her eyes widened. "You're allergic to red sand, aren't you?" she asked.

"Terribly so," said Shepard.

Miranda nodded before grabbing her pistol. "Fine, we're not shooting the red sand," she said. "But I hope you realize, Commander, that they're likely going to shoot up the crates if we don't."

"If we can avoid it, I'm not doing anything with the red sand." He then shook his head, grabbing his assault rifle and giving it a once-over. "Let's get this out of the way."

Miranda nodded, before she slinked forward behind a crate. The operative then looked up, carefully aiming her pistol at one of the guards. She then swallowed, before firing the pistol at one of the guards.

Jodie gawked at how, even at the distance Miranda was from the guard, she still managed to score a perfect headshot.

This feeling of awe was quickly put out by the speed at which the other guard turned to Miranda. The asari inside the command post also turned to look outside, and it was then that Miranda rose out of cover to fire at the second man. It was then that Shepard rushed into the room, Jodie following shortly afterwards as Miranda fired at the last remaining guard.

Jodie settled into the crate next to Miranda, before noticing Shepard spray fire at the guard. The guard went down quickly, before the door of the command post opened. The asari stepped out, pistol in hand as she surveyed the room.

"Security's going to swarm in here, you know," Jodie said.

"That's what I'm counting on," said Miranda. "If security comes in, then–"

And immediately, a crate very close to Shepard exploded. The crate did not necessarily explode violently, but Jodie saw a cloud of red dust suddenly erupt from the crate. It flew up, and Shepard threw up his arm to shield himself. It was not enough, though, as the crate next to Jodie exploded similarly with the same cloud of red dust. Jodie coughed lightly, before she felt the slightest buzz of activity well up in her arms. She looked at herself, seeing blue static trace around her arms.

Aiden chirped in wonder, before Jodie blinked in surprise at the energy she felt within her. _Is this what biotics deal with daily...?_

Before Jodie could think more, though, she heard weapons fire overhead. She quickly rolled closer, getting behind a taller crate as Miranda rushed for Shepard. She pulled him behind new cover, Jodie looking on as the distance between them grew. When this happened, Jodie looked up, before covering her ears at the klaxons that went off all around the room.

"Well, there it is," she whispered to herself. She then looked up at Miranda. "Patch us into the comms chatter?"

Miranda nodded, manipulating her omni-tool for a few seconds. "There," she said. "You should have it now."

And immediately, Jodie heard loud yelling in her ears. " _Alert! Alert! We have intruders in the main bay! Three unidentified hostiles!_ "

Jodie nodded, before hoisting her assault rifle up. When she peered over cover, she saw two more Eclipse soldiers barging into the room. She fired at them, causing them to leap behind cover almost as soon as they got two steps in. Jodie ducked under their return fire, before crawling over closer to Miranda to check on Shepard.

Shepard was curled up in a ball close to Miranda, Jodie looking on as he began to cough. Jodie looked at him, frowning.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Shepard released another cough. "I'm fine," he said. "Just gotta..." He then coughed again, before turning and firing at the two mercenaries that had leaped into the room. He missed, and Jodie noticed that his aim was wildly off.

Jodie shook her head. "Shepard, you're not okay," she said. She then pulled her omni-tool out, quickly administering a dose to Shepard. "There, take that."

Shepard's coughing eased a little bit more. Aiden trilled at Jodie, before giving off a few indignant clicks. She ignored him, before seeing Shepard nod.

"Thanks," he said. "This red sand stuff is not good for my–"

But before he could finish, the crate they hid behind exploded, the familiar cloud of red billowing up. Immediately, Shepard's coughing fit worsened, and Jodie felt the strange tingle in her bones again. This time, it almost seemed to hurt, but she felt relief flood through her as Aiden let out a chirp.

"Oh great..." Jodie leaned forward, seeing the commander's coughing fit worsen. She looked to Miranda, seeing the operative firing more rounds at various other asari. "Hey!"

Miranda turned, looking down at the commander. Immediately, her eyes widened as she saw the state the commander was in, before leaning in. "Oh no..." She then opened her omni-tool, administering another dose of medigel. "This can't be good..."

"I'll be fine," said Shepard. He waved his hand, before turning and managing to shoot one of the asari straight in the chest. "I just need to–"

Another cloud of red sand exploded from a crate just behind the group, and before they knew it, the commander was coughing up a storm again.

Jodie shook her head, before grabbing her assault rifle and firing at the second asari close to where the commander had shot the other one down. "Dammit," she said. "I think they've figured out we don't like red sand around us!"

Miranda frowned, before glowing biotically and throwing it at another pair of Eclipse guards. As they were flung back, she turned, administering yet another dose of medigel to the commander. "We'll have to keep track of his condition," she said. "After all, we don't–"

" _We've got a fourth hostile in the left partition! I repeat, we have–ugh!_ "

The comm link went silent, but Jodie could hear footsteps fading away. Jodie took a deep breath in, nodding.

"There he is," said Jodie. She then looked to the commander. "But we should–"

"Go!" Miranda began to wave Jodie away. "I'll stay here with the Commander, hold them off. You go find our assassin."

Jodie frowned, Aiden trilling at her loudly. "Are you sure?" Jodie asked.

"We can't lose our opportunity," said Miranda. "Get Thane and bring him back here! I can handle myself, and the commander if need be!"

Jodie nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. "If you're sure..."

She then turned, firing a last barrage of fire at the two asari who had just then stood up from another biotic attack Miranda had launched at them. She managed to bring one down, before she turned and rushed out of the large store room.

Miranda then turned, looking straight to the asari commando as she came out of her shell. She then turned to the commander, his coughing fit having abated from when she had managed to administer a third dose of medigel to him. She then gritted her teeth, before glowing blue again and turning to the asari commando.

"Oh, you are going down," said the asari.

Miranda shook her head. "We'll see about that!"

With this, Miranda launched the first biotic attack at the commando. The commando leapt out of the way gracefully, before firing her pistol right at Miranda. She ducked behind cover, grabbing on to Shepard's arm and pulling him to his feet. The commander stumbled, and it was then that Miranda got the sense that the red sand was really doing a number on him. Nevertheless, she managed to shove him into cover, before turning and firing her own pistol at the commando.

The commando managed to dodge, before glowing blue and throwing an attack right at the crates Shepard landed at. Miranda felt gravity pull on her suddenly, but she managed to get around behind cover before seeing that Shepard had been swept up in the singularity.

"Shit!"

Miranda immediately turned to the asari, firing her pistol at the commando and forcing her back into cover. When she heard her gun beep loudly, she quickly holstered it, before pulling out her submachine gun as quickly as she could. The commando had just peeked out of cover to fire a shot when Miranda's fire sprayed across her shields. Miranda simply kept firing, and when that changed, she lobbed another biotic attack at the crates behind the commando.

And then, she turned, just in time to see the singularity fade and drop Shepard right in front of another crate of red sand.

The asari saw this and wasted no time shooting the crate open. Miranda grimaced, before vaulting over a crate. She lobbed another biotic attack at the asari, this one missing completely before she managed to catch up to Shepard. She then grabbed the commander, hearing his coughing intensify as she slid behind a tall crate.

Miranda shook her head. "I hope Jodie's having better luck with this than I am..."

* * *

Jodie pressed her back flat against the wall, her assault rifle pointed up at the ceiling. She then looked up to Aiden, brushing some hair out of her face as she grit her teeth. She looked over to a nearby door, the door control glowing a bright red.

"Aiden, is there anyone in there?" she asked.

The entity chirped once, before Jodie frowned. "Hopefully it's the guy we're looking for."

And then, Aiden trilled in the affirmative. She nodded, before moving closer to the door. "Then we'll just have to go for it. Unlock that door!"

Aiden clicked. Jodie then watched, and then saw a few seconds later as the door control turned green. Without wasting any time, Jodie moved right for the door, slamming her fist down on the door control. The door opened up, and she immediately stepped into the room, raising her weapon.

Her eyes scanned the room, though that was difficult in the darkness. She looked around, seeing no signs that anybody was in there, even as she stepped into the room. She dropped her weapon, looking around at her surroundings: it was then she realized that she was in a room with multiple servers inside, the lights blinking in and out. And as she stepped into the room, she saw a lit-up terminal that seemed to be scrolling through a list of some kind. Jodie precariously stepped forward, looking over as the door closed behind her.

_Looks like names..._

It was then that Aiden clicked somewhere to Jodie's left. Jodie frowned, before turning her gaze to look back at the source of the click. And as soon as she did, she thought she saw a form silhouetted against the faint lights of the server room. The figure remained still for quite a while, so Jodie knew this person could not have been with Eclipse. She frowned, trying to see what the person was in the faint light.

It was when she caught the glint of light off of a dark green scale that she realized she was looking right at a drell.

Jodie breathed in and swallowed. "There you are," she said. "I've been looking for you for–"

Jodie then saw the silhouette move. Aiden trilled a warning, but the shadowy form of the drell had already rushed up to Jodie by the time she could do anything. It was only through sheer luck that Jodie managed to dodge a punch, rolling right out of harm's way as she jumped right up to her feet. The figure, undeterred, turned, attempting to catch Jodie with a powerful sidekick.

Jodie blocked it, but she stumbled back in surprise at how powerful the kick had been.

The drell paused, and it was then that Jodie caught the glint of his eyes in the low light. "I will give you one chance to leave," said the drell. "I do not want to harm anyone, unless they get in my way."

Jodie frowned. "I don't plan to get in your way, but we've been trying to find you," she said. "We need you for–"

The drell rushed her again, leaping up to deliver a kick. But this time, Jodie was prepared: she pushed her hands out, shoving the drell's foot out of the way. She also noticed the fist aiming straight for her throat, which she also blocked in short order. Before the drell could move again, Jodie suddenly lunged forward, catching the drell's gut with a strong elbow. She felt it meet quite a bit of resistance, but it was enough to leave the drell stumbling back. Jodie noticed he was not out of breath just yet.

"You cannot stop me," said the drell. "I will find what I'm looking for, merc or no merc."

"That would require me to be a merc," Jodie replied. "And as it so happens, I am not."

The drell stopped, frowning as he dropped his guard a little. "You are not Eclipse?"

"No," said Jodie.

"Then why are you here?" asked the drell.

Jodie nodded. "Because we need you for a mission," she said. "I work for Commander Shepard, and yes, I know you're going to ask about this, so no, he is no longer dead."

"Commander Shepard?" asked the drell. "Alive?"

"It's a long story," said Jodie. "But the short version, someone brought him back to deal with the Collectors."

"The Collectors..." The drell frowned, before shaking his head. "They would be a worthy foe, but I cannot join this mission. I have a far more important mission. I need to find someone, someone important to me. I have searched the Terminus systems looking for him, and nothing has come of my search."

Jodie swallowed. "There's one other thing," she said. "The Commander is working with Cerberus."

The drell paused. "Cerberus?" he asked. "I was under the impression that they did not hire aliens."

"They're making an exception for this mission," said Jodie. She then stepped forward. "Look, I don't know who you're looking for, but whoever you're looking for, I'm sure you could use an information network. And... well, I know that Cerberus has operatives all around the galaxy. That, and they're used to breaking and entering. So... I don't know if I actually can suggest this, but maybe they can give you intel to help you find this person."

The drell stopped, before glancing to the side. "I have been on this crusade myself," he admitted. "And my contacts... they have tried their best, but it is not enough."

Jodie nodded, holding her hand to him. "Join us, Thane," said Jodie. "We can help you find this guy you're looking for, in exchange for helping us fight the Collectors."

Thane paused, looking back to the list of names. He then scrolled through it quickly, his shoulders sagging.

"His name is not here..." he said. He looked to the floor, before turning to Jodie. "And if Cerberus refuses my request?"

Jodie chuckled. "Well... if they don't, the Commander will browbeat them into doing it anyway."

Aiden grumbled in annoyance. _Yeah, don't worry, I didn't feel right saying it myself_ , Jodie replied, who just managed to hide a shudder that travelled down her arm.

Thane looked at Jodie intently, his eyes narrowing as he examined her. He then stepped foward. "And you are... Jodie Holmes, yes?"

Jodie nodded. "Yes," she said. "The commander basically conscripted me this time around, so..."

The drell looked at her skeptically. "I would like to see your Commander first," he said. "You cannot make promises for him that he will not intend to uphold."

"That's fair." Jodie turned away, looking to the door. "But right now, he's kind of busy. He's kind of fighting the lady in charge of this warehouse right now, and I went ahead to try to find you first."

"As I see," said Thane. He then turned to the door. "After you."

Jodie nodded, Aiden chirping as she turned to the exit of the room. She then opened the door, hearing footsteps behind her as she then traced her steps back to Shepard. "It's this way."

Thane said nothing as the two of them ran out of the room.

* * *

Shepard rolled out of the way of another biotic blast. He pressed his back against another case of red sand. He let out a cough as he shook his head, turning away from the cloud of red dust in the air and hacking away again.

Miranda shook her head, rushing over next to him. "Shepard, are you _sure_ you don't need the medical attention?" she asked.

"I can do just fine!" Shepard snapped, before releasing another series of coughs. "I can power... through..." he coughed again. "...this..."

Miranda shook her head, before opening her omni-tool. "You're no use to us in this state," she said. "Here, have some medigel." She then tapped a button.

Shepard took a sharp breath in, blinking in surprise at the relief that washed over his body. "I'm not wounded, agent," he said.

"And you say that like powering through a cough is going to help," said Miranda. "The Illusive Man did not spend hundreds of millions of credits to bring you back only for you to die to bloody _red sand_ , Commander."

"I'm not _dying_ to red sand!"

And then, the container exploded again, another red cloud exploding forth. The commander cried out, before trying to roll away. Miranda shook her head, and with a huff she grabbed Shepard by the arm and yanked him behind new cover. She then leaned over, looking right at the asari commando as she smirked, glowing blue with biotics.

"Isn't this interesting?" she asked. "The great Commander Shepard, dealing with red sand like this!"

Miranda grit her teeth, shaking her head. "She's becoming annoying." She then turned, before grabbing her pistol and aiming it past cover. She fired a few shots, the shots managing to break on her shields before she was forced back into cover. Miranda growled, quickly checking the heat sink on her pistol and shaking her head.

"Bloody hell..." She then rushed out of cover, glowing blue as she brought her hand forward. With a sudden forward motion, Miranda summoned a blue ball of biotic energy, the agent noticing that the ball was slightly enlarged due to the red sand. The asari blinked, before jumping out of the way and watching as the ball impacted against some shipping crates close to where she had been.

The commando growled. "If only it had the same effect on you!"

"Good luck with that," said Miranda as she took the time to fire her pistol at the commando.

The commando had managed to duck behind cover, however, before coming back out of cover and flinging a disc of biotic energy of her own. Miranda ducked under it, watching it explode and illuminate the red sand all around the room. She then turned, growling before glowing blue again and pulling her hand back. The asari frowned, before rolling just in time to dodge the blue burst of biotics that heralded the arrival of a particular biotic ability. Before the asari could roll too far out of the way, though, Miranda brought her hand back forward again. This time, the biotic energy caught the asari right on the chest. The commando was sent flying back against a shipping container, and she fell to the ground hard enough that she lost her grip on her weapon.

Before Miranda could follow up, however, the doors burst open just behind her. Both Miranda and the asari turned, seeing a contingent of Eclipse mercs in yellow armor all enter the large store room. It was a group of eight soldiers in all, and they immediately began to circle the room. She noticed that two of them had their guns pointed at the corner where Shepard was, and the rest all pointed their guns straight at Miranda.

Miranda growled, turning to the asari commando. "Somehow, I knew you would be able to do that," she said.

The commando smirked, before pushing herself to her feet with some effort. "How're you feeling now?" she asked.

"Not confident about our chances," said Miranda.

"And that's why you don't randomly barge into an Eclipse warehouse." The asari commando stepped forward, looking at the Cerberus emblem emblazoned on Miranda's catsuit. "What even is that? Some new gang? I can probably take them down in one fell swoop."

Miranda smirked. "Just try it," she replied. "You'll probably regret that decision when you discover who my employer is."

"Ooh, cocky," the asari replied with a smirk. "I like that. I'll remember that later, when I report back to base. They'd like to hear about this new–"

And then, they were interrupted by a grunt from behind. Miranda and the commando both turned around suddenly, only to see one of the men fall to the floor, clutching a wound in his abdomen. Before they could marvel much on it, however, Miranda saw a drell hand reach out for an assault rifle just past the shipping container that she remembered Shepard being on, another hand suddenly coming forward and punching this merc in the throat. Before she could reply, she saw shiny green scales.

The operative recognized the face immediately from pictures that Cerberus' intel had managed to grab. And then, she heard another series of grunts, before seeing Jodie duck under the punch of another soldier, before she lodged a knife in his chest.

Miranda then turned back to the commando, who was still looking on at the sudden attack in shock. Miranda took the opportunity: she immediately brought her fist forward, catching the asari with a punch right to the face that sent her walking back. Before the asari could go too far, the Cerberus operative glowed blue for a second, and then unleashed a biotic warp at the commando. This sent her flying right towards the glass of the control room, the glass breaking into small pieces as the asari flew through them.

Miranda then lifted her pistol, giving the commando time to look up at her. Miranda then said nothing as she pulled the trigger, the round going straight into the commando's chest. Her eyes went wide for a second, and then her body fell limp, her gaze turned to the floor.

The Cerberus operative then nodded, before holstering her pistol. Without wasting a second, she rushed back to the Commander. She had barely registered that Jodie and the mysterious drell aid had both taken care of the other nearby soldiers, before she rushed over to the commander.

When she knelt by him, the commander was looking up, his eyes trained on the ceiling as he feebly lifted a finger. He let out a cough, but Miranda noticed it was rather subdued. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but it remained open for quite a bit of time.

"Shepard?" asked Miranda as she heard footsteps behind her.

The commander looked up, smiling. " _Rose of 'tice, yellow geese, set to fly in a staaaaarliiiiight..._ " he intoned in a sing-song voice.

Miranda heard motion behind her, and when she turned she saw Jodie out of the corner of her eye. "What the hell is he saying?" asked Jodie.

"I don't know," said Miranda. She shook her head. "These symptoms are _not_ normal symptoms of red sand."

"Is this a human thing?" Miranda turned, before looking right into the darkened eyes of the drell who had aided them.

Miranda paused, before leaning back. "No, it's an allergy thing, according to him," Miranda replied. "Thane Krios, I presume?"

The Cerberus operative heard a slight movement behind her, but was not able to parse it as the drell before her nodded. "Yes," said the drell. "Your associate told me the commander needed my services for a job."

"We do," said Miranda. She then glanced back. "I apologize about the commander's condition, Mr. Krios. As his XO, I will ask that you speak to him when he has been treated."

Thane nodded, looking down at the commander. "Understandable," he said. He then looked to Miranda. "If you wish, I can assist in bringing him back to the Normandy."

Miranda nodded. "The help is appreciated," she said.

She then leaned forward, gently pulling the commander to his feet. When she did, he lurched forward, his arm suddenly coming around to grip Miranda's shoulders. He stumbled forward, but Miranda held firm, and soon Thane had rushed forward to grab Shepard's opposite shoulder. Shepard could only look up at the drell in surprise, before he gave a small grin.

" _Sunlight's here, little dear, herald of a new might..._ " Shepard finished, letting out an almost drunken chuckle before leaning forward.

Thane nodded. "Is there a clinic nearby?" he asked.

"No, and anyway I doubt they'd be able to help us," said Miranda. "Our ship has a med bay. Come along."

With this, Miranda and Thane began to move. Miranda cast a glance back at Jodie, seeing the other woman stand behind. After a second, she blinked, before quickly walking up and stepping in behind the two of them.

* * *

 _There's_ no _way we've bumped into Kolyat's father! Absolutely no way! Don't even tell me this has really happened!_

Jodie watched impatiently outside the med bay as the medical doctor did her thing on Shepard. Jodie had to admit, the new girl they had gotten was quite something: she was a little blonde woman, and she worked very quickly once Shepard had gone in. From the way Miranda had spoken of her to Thane, Jodie felt like she would at least do her job very well.

But as she turned away from the med bay and looked to Thane where he sat in the mess hall, her thoughts went right back to the man in front of her. She had heard what Miranda had said to him. Krios. And then, she thought back to Kolyat, and to the house on Thessia that Councillor Tevos had told her he was being kept safe.

_Oh no... if I gave him the keys to find Kolyat... Oh God..._

She turned, Aiden trilling lowly. _I know, Aiden,_ she thought. _But how the hell do you expect me to break that to him?_

Before Aiden could reply, though, Jodie heard the door open. She turned her head, seeing Thane and Miranda look up as the blonde medic came up to them. Miranda then stood up.

"Is the Commander alright, Dr. Masson?" she asked.

Jodie watched Dr. Masson bow her head. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "He'll still need to rest for a day to fully get the red sand out of his system, but the worst symptoms have passed. He's lucid now, at the very least."

"And in a state to answer questions?" asked Thane.

"Should be," the doctor replied. She then stepped back, gesturing to them. "He wanted to see you, actually."

Jodie and Miranda nodded, right as Miranda stood up. "Come on," she said. "We must speak to him now."

With this, Miranda walked towards the med bay. Thane followed her, and they were subsequently followed by Jodie and Dr. Masson in very short order. When the three of them entered the med bay, they saw Shepard laid back on one of the berths, his eyes a little puffed out and red. He laid there in the undersuit of his armor, breathing gently as he looked up at Miranda.

"Next time..." Shepard shook his head. "Next time we invade an Eclipse warehouse, I'm bringing a gas mask."

Miranda shook his head. "I don't think they all have red sand, commander." She then stepped back. "Anyway, Thane Krios is on the Normandy."

Shepard blinked, looking to the unfamiliar drell. "And this is he?" he asked.

"In the flesh," said Thane. He then glanced at Jodie. "Your associate tells me you need my services for a mission against the Collectors."

"Yes," said Shepard. "We need only the best, and for whatever reason, they think you're it."

"She also tells me your Cerberus may be able to help me get what I seek," Thane said.

Shepard frowned, before turning to Jodie. "What?" he asked.

Jodie looked up at Thane. "He said he was looking for someone important," she said. "He broke into the server because he was trying to see if his name was on the registry."

"Yes," said Thane. He then looked up, turning away from Shepard and holding his hands behind his back. "I... I have mistakes I need to make up for, Commander, and so little time to do it." He then turned away, looking up at the ceiling. "I am dying."

Dr. Masson frowned, stepping forward. "Dying?" she asked. "You don't..." She then paused, looking up. "Is it Kepral's?"

Thane nodded. "I was diagnosed more recently," he said. Thane's eyes nictated as he turned back to Shepard. "I know not when Kalahira will beckon me to the ocean, but I pray it is not soon. I have to find him before it is too late."

"And who is this 'he'?" asked the commander.

Thane stepped forward. "My son," he said, softly. "I... I left him in the care of my brother-in-law for his safety, but... It was no safety." He shook his head. "Six months ago, he vanished, abducted from what I know."

And then, Jodie froze up. She blinked, thankful that Aiden was able to wail in fear for her.

_No... No no no no no..._

"Does your brother-in-law know what happened?" Shepard asked.

"Not the specifics," said Thane. "He tells me not to worry, that my son is safe, but he refuses to tell me why, or what has happened to him." He shook his head. "I always did know he had a penchant for hiding more information than was necessary..." He then looked up. "He was abducted, from what I know, and I will never have peace until I discover his whereabouts."

Shepard nodded, before looking to Jodie. "Well, my associate was not wrong," he said. He then turned back to Thane. "I do have something better than that, though. I have an independent information network set up."

Thane blinked. "What?"

"I have my own network." He then leaned forward. "I will still speak to Cerberus about it, but if the Illusive Man says no, that won't stop me. I'll get my information network on the case."

Thane nodded. "Then you will have my aid in this mission," he said. He then bowed his head, before opening his omni-tool. "I have his information on file."

And then, a picture appeared. Jodie had to dig her toes into her boots to keep from gasping out loud at the all-too-familiar face that looked back at her through the picture, the blue scales popping out slightly as she saw him there.

"His name is Kolyat. The rest of his information is contained within."

* * *

"Hm... They might make a move on the Hegemony, then. If this operation has only recently started, it could be that they're cleaning up house where the Council would not."

"Then you believe it is a lead worth investigating?"

"Of course, and for a very many good reasons. Most of all, they will want to be noted for cleaning up the galaxy: something the Council has failed to do effectively, to them."

"Very well, we will mark it up in our priorities. As for the other thing: what do you make of this?"

Pravuil took the datapad from Victus. The two of them stood in the command room, which looked out to a bunch of turians working at consoles. Pravuil instead fixed his attention on the datapad: he had already had plenty of time to get used to the turians in the other room, even make acquaintances of them. He thus concentrated over the datapad, reading over some more data as he paced around the room.

"Hm..." Pravuil rubbed his chin. " _And so, Lishala rose again, walking astride her persecutors with spear in hand..._ " He nodded. "Must be a propaganda piece."

"Propaganda piece?" asked Victus. "What does it mean?"

"It is making some big deal about a guardian coming to life," said Pravuil. "More specifically, it is a precise quote of the Orthodox Cerulen Bible, from when the great Prophet paraded through the streets after her resurrection."

"That Bible that the Articians use, right?" asked Victus.

"Yes," said Pravuil. He then began to pace around. "And reading through the rest of it, it's referring to Shepard."

"Pumping him up as a savior," said Victus. "Strange that they would do that for a dead man, but it is just a propaganda piece."

"I don't know..." Pravuil set the datapad down. "Something about this doesn't sit well with me. The propaganda machine is very over the top with Shepard, but even they would be reluctant to print such a piece of propaganda."

"You're saying he's come back to life?" asked Victus. He chuckled, shaking his head. "You have a strange sense of humor, Pravuil."

"It does seem rather silly, but I would not like to discount any possibility," said Pravuil. "And regardless, even if it is the most hyperbolic propaganda out there, it will galvanize this galaxy more than our break-out did." He pointed at the datapad. "I would honestly recommend passing this information to the Council. It's something they might want to know about."

Victus paused, before nodding. "Very well," he said. "I think that is all that the–"

A knock sounded at the door. Pravuil and Victus turned, before seeing a turian technician rush in. Pravuil blinked, looking at the purple tattoo on the mandibles that he had gotten used to as the technician rushed in. He held a datapad in his hand, holding it right in front of him.

"Pardon the interruption, sir, but I picked up something new from one of our field operatives around Illium," said the turian. "You'll want to see this."

Pravuil frowned, taking the datapad gingerly. He then looked over it, looking down at the contents of the datapad. He tilted it over for Victus, and then they both began to read a message contained within:

" _DGI,_

_You need to take Kolyat Krios off of the most wanted list, effective immediately._

_It is related to Commander Jon'ison Shardan: he has recruited a man named Thane Krios. In case you're wondering: yes, the drell assassin the Illusive Man suggested to Shardan_ is _Kolyat's father. What is more, the drell's condition for joining is to help find Kolyat Krios. We must now turn our resources to finding Kolyat, but for a different reason. You must pass this on to the proper authorities: Kolyat is not a person to arrest anymore._

 _-Xiltro_ "

Pravuil breathed in, before looking up at Victus.

"Oh no..." the aqueron replied. He looked up. "It seems we have our confirmation that Shepard is back to life."

"And worse," said Victus. He took the datapad, before nodding. "I will relay this to Councillor Tevos right away. She'll want to know about this."


	3. Chapter 3

 

Jodie sat in the observation room, shaking her head and looking outside to the stars.

 _Dammit_. She stood up, pacing around the room again. _We just led Shepard right to Kolyat..._

Aiden chirped cautiously. Jodie shook her head, brushing a strand of hair out of the way. _I know, Aiden, but I still wish I had asked for..._ She shook her head, before sitting down at the couch again. _Fuck. Here we go needing to protect him, and I lead him right back into danger again. And this time, he probably won't even know it until it's too late._

Aiden trilled softly, before gurgling gently. Jodie felt a warm presence close by as she slowly lifted her head up. She knew what Aiden was doing, but had barely the heart to do much more than sigh dejectedly. Thoughts of Kolyat came up, Kolyat getting used to his new home on Thessia. And then, she looked over to the door of the observation room, looking past that point to where Thane was staying.

 _I can't even tell Thane without it seeming suspicious,_ she thought. _If he said anything to Shepard that gave it away, Shepard would know about my involvement with that galaxy immediately..._

The entity gurgled a question at Jodie. In reply, she sighed. _I know, Aiden, but we don't know how good an actor this guy is yet,_ she thought. _And if there's any chance he could give it away by how he acts, I can't take that..._ She then stood up, pacing around. _Oh goddammit, there I go again, talking like one of those CIA guys..._

Aiden gave a light gurgle again. Jodie stopped, rubbing her temples. _You're right,_ she said. _The whole galaxy is riding on me keeping my cover... Shit, I hate this kind of not being able to do anything. I'm going to have to hope I can clue Anderson in on this in time..._

" _You seem perturbed._ "

Jodie blinked, before turning to where EDI's blue globe stayed. She then blinked, before standing up a little straighter. "Sorry," she said. "Just deep in thought. I tend to get moody and all that."

" _Worried about something?_ " EDI asked.

"It's nothing important," Jodie said, giving a dismissive handwave. She then paused, before glancing to the side. "Where are we going now?"

" _Purgatory_ ," EDI replied. " _We are hoping to find our next squadmate there._ "

Jodie frowned. "And what is Purgatory?" she asked.

" _A prison._ " EDI replied. " _We are hoping to recruit a powerful biotic located within the premises._ "

Jodie sighed. "I see." She then looked up. "Thank you, EDI."

" _I will let you know when Shepard is back on the ship._ "

With this, EDI blinked out, before Jodie looked up at the ceiling. _Well, Aiden, looks like we get to play the wait and see game again, right?_

Aiden gave a brief series of clicks, before Jodie breathed out gently.

* * *

"Oh, come on, that's not fair!"

"Sorry, Sa'lem, but you know the rules."

Sa'lem threw his hand of cards onto the table, the cards landing in a scattered manner as he stood up and shook his head. "Dammit, so close!" He shook his head, before rounding on Kolyat. "How did you get so lucky?"

"You know, Sa'lem, I really don't know," Kolyat replied. He shook his head, before laying out his hand and showing it to the tolahña. "I swear, the rest of my hand was really bad, too."

Sa'lem looked down, before shaking his head. He then turned to Matriarch Belantha, the old asari watching with a grin as Kolyat showed his hand to Druvak. The other two nodded, looking up at Sa'lem as he sighed.

"Yeah, I guess that's fair," he said. "Well-fought, I guess."

"You still seem sore about your loss, Young Master Sa'lem," said Druvak.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Sa'lem replied. "Just when I thought I was finally going to win at this game."

"Well, don't fret, my dear," Belantha replied, placing a hand on Sa'lem's shoulder. " _Sefrevan_ is a difficult game to master, even if it is easy to learn. And you were doing quite well with that."

Sa'lem nodded. "I hope you're right," he said. He sighed, smiling softly. "Dad would've loved this game."

"And he would have been very good at it, too," said Druvak. "Young Madam La'rel used to play strategy games with Young Master Ru'val back when they courted each other. He always beat her handily, but she never gave up. She promised she would defeat him some day."

"Did she?" asked Sa'lem.

Druvak sighed, his antennae falling to the side. "I do not know," he said. "They did play one final game before La'rel was taken away. Master Ru'val never told me the results." He sighed. "He took this secret with him to the grave."

"It was likely too painful for him to relive," Belantha said softly.

Kolyat nodded too. "Mom would've loved it, too..." He shook his head, chuckling bitterly. "Dammit, this is a strategy board game, we're not supposed to get all nostalgic over it!" He stood up, brushing his jacket off slightly. "Is dinner ready yet? I'm hungry!"

As if on cue, an asari servant stepped into the room. She turned to Matriarch Belantha, bowing her head. "Dinner is served, Auntie Bel," she said.

Belantha smiled warmly, standing up. "Thank you, Aurona," she said. "I hope you left some for yourself and the others."

The servant smiled. "There's plenty to go around for the whole household," she said.

"Good," said Belantha. "I think it's time we ate, no?"

"I'll tell the others to come to the dinner table," said Aurona.

"Please do," said Belantha.

Aurona bowed her head, and exited with a spring in her step. Before she left, though, she paused. "Oh!" She then turned to Belantha. "Apologies, but you have a message from Councillor Tevos."

Belantha blinked. "It must be urgent..." She nodded, turning to Kolyat and Sa'lem. "You two should go on to the dining room first, I will be there shortly."

Kolyat nodded. "As you say," he said. He then turned to Sa'lem as the two of them walked out of the room. "Do you think Lera will be there again?"

"She's gotta be," Sa'lem replied. "You know how often she works here..."

The two exited. Druvak remained behind, looking to the matriarch as she turned and headed to the office.

"You do not think it serious, do you, Madam Belantha?" he asked.

"You know Tevos," said Belantha. "She told me she would not contact me unless it was a grave issue." She shook her head. "I will see what she wants. In the meantime, you should join Sa'lem and Kolyat. Again, I will be there shortly."

The ra'ken nodded. "Yes, Madam Belantha," he said.

With this, he turned, leaving Belantha alone. The matriach sighed, watching him leave. She then turned to her office, gently closing the door behind her as she wondered what sort of communication awaited her.

* * *

Jodie stepped into the room, looking over at the tube again. This time, she saw Warlord Okeer standing in front of it with a datapad. The warlord was busy checking all sorts of things on the tube, frowning as he tapped more parts of his datapad.

Jodie took a step forward, and the sound of her footsteps was enough to alert Okeer. The lumbering krogan turned, glancing at Jodie out of the corner of his eye.

"Don't get close," said Okeer.

Jodie frowned, glancing to the side. "What, are you going to break me in half?" she asked.

"No." Okeer then turned to the tube right by where he stood. "But _he_ might."

Jodie frowned. "What?" she asked.

It was then that she saw all the fluid drain from the tank. She watched as various droplets of fluid began to trickle down the tank krogan's arms. Jodie glanced up for a second, before turning to EDI as her blue orb came up.

" _Okeer, I must warn you that Shepard will not be pleased when he discovers you have awoken your test subject without him present,_ " she said.

"Bah, I don't need his approval," Okeer replied. "He's ready to come out, and much sooner than I thought he'd be. He can live with another krogan on his ship."

Jodie blinked, stepping back towards the door. "O-oh!" She braced herself against the wall, looking on as Okeer turned to the control pad right on the tube. "Oh dear..."

Okeer smirked back at Jodie. "Behold, the perfect krogan!"

With this, the glass pulled away. Immediately, the big krogan within fell to the floor. Right as Jodie thought his face would slam against the floor, however, the krogan's arms moved, bracing his fall just as he had fallen to his knees. He then released a series of loud coughs, fluid spilling forth from his mouth and wetting Jodie's feet. Jodie jumped back slightly, the coughing getting more violent as he pushed himself to a standing position.

Jodie was suddenly arrested in place when the krogan's gaze turned directly to her. His pupils narrowed, and Jodie saw in the way his legs tensed that he was appraising her, figuring out if she was a threat. Jodie could only swallow, her legs tightening as she prepared to jump in a direction, _any_ direction.

He then stood up, looking at her with a frown on his face. Without warning, the krogan charged at her, his arm coming forward as he moved to pin her against the wall. Jodie had managed to leap to the left, rolling too her feet next to the tank as she splayed her arms out. She looked out to Okeer for a second, but balked upon seeing his triumphant smirk. Aiden gurgled angrily, but Jodie could only look on in disbelief.

And then, she felt a blunt impact against her chest, and she was pushed against the wall. The tank-bred krogan's eyes met her shocked gaze, and she felt the pressure on her chest as Grunt leaned in closer. The krogan looked her directly in the eyes, not flinching for a second as Jodie looked up.

Aiden trilled in fear, but before he could do anything, Jodie tapped her foot against the floor. _Aiden, don't you dare!_ she thought.

The tank-bred krogan leaned in close. "Human. Female." He then leaned back a little. "Before you die, I need a name."

"She will do nothing of the sort." Jodie and Grunt both blinked in surprise, and both of them turned to Okeer. "She is Jodie Holmes of the Normandy. And I am Warlord Okeer."

The tank-bred turned to Okeer, letting up his pressure on Jodie's chest. "Not yours, mine," said the krogan. "I know things, but the tank..." He then turned, examining the krogan before him. "You... Okeer..."

Okeer could only chuckle in amusement. "Yes," he replied. "I am your creator, Grunt. And you are the perfect krogan specimen."

The krogan looked to the ground. "Grunt... It will do." He then looked to Okeer. "You say you created me. Why?"

Okeer turned his head, stepping forward. "Our species is in danger," he said. "You were created to fix that. You, Grunt, are a perfect krogan. You will be the light that drags the krogan out of the ashes!"

Grunt frowned. "How?" he asked.

Okeer stepped forward. "You know of the genophage, Grunt," he said. "You are meant to reverse that." Before Grunt could say anything more. "You are the pinnacle of all krogan. The greatest krogan in this galaxy. And you will raise them back to glory."

Grunt narrowed his eyes. He turned back to Jodie, before turning back to Okeer. "I see..." Jodie blinked at how uncertain Grunt sounded, but before she could say anything more, he pointed back to Jodie. "And what about her?"

"Leave her be, for now," Okeer said. "You are on the ship of a powerful human, Commander Shepard. She is his ally. We don't want to overstay our welcome by killing her."

Grunt paused, before nodding. He then stepped back, Jodie falling to the floor and letting out a couple of coughs as she suddenly found it much easier to breathe. When she had gathered her bearings, she looked up to Okeer, the krogan grinning merrily.

"You son of a..." She let out another cough, Aiden trilling the rest of her statement at him. "EDI, you got that, right?"

" _Yes,_ " said the AI. " _The Commander won't be pleased to hear how you've treated one of his close allies, Okeer._ "

"I'll deal with that later," said Okeer. "For now, I have my perfect krogan. Let him come."

Jodie could not help shaking her head. "I have the feeling you're really going to regret saying that," she said curtly, before she finally stood up and headed to the door. "All I'll tell you, is good luck."

With this, she exited the room, and then ran away from the room as fast as her feet could carry her.

* * *

The dock worker looked up at the ship that pulled into the port. He glanced up from his datapad, scrutinizing it. It was an asari-made vessel, one that seemed rather small. He figured it was a transport of some kind, perhaps for trading materials. He looked it over, before turning back to his datapad.

As soon as he did, a beep sounded. He blinked in surprise, before seeing the ship's registry. It was indeed an asari craft, though the fact that it was a trading ship surprised him. But, it had been cleared...

 _By Aria T'Loak herself?_ The dock worker did a double take, before he looked up at the door of the gangplank leading up to the craft. _Who the hell would be so important that she gave this ship goddamn clearance herself?_

The worker looked up, before the door opened. And then, out of the gangplank walked the most majestic asari he had ever seen: the woman stood there in deep red armor that hugged her body rather closely. The red crest on her head gleamed brightly even in the dim lighting of Omega, and as she walked forward, he noticed there was a gravity in her step that screamed authority.

The dock worker blinked, his four eyes looking up at her. _No way..._

The woman approached him, standing rather still. "Do you know who I can speak to about Ardat-Yakshi?"

The dock worker paused. "About what?" he asked.

"It is urgent," the woman replied. "I have business on here, and I must know how to find a person of interest."

"W-well..." The dock worker paused, before frowning. "I don't know how to help you there. If I could I would, but–"

"Are you looking for the Ardat-Yakshi?"

The dock worker turned, seeing one of _those_ men in white armor that had appeared all around Omega again. He frowned, the asari turning to him.

"I am," the asari replied, remaining regal even as she looked at him. "Do you have information on her?"

"We're working on the case as we speak," said the white-armored man.

"Already?" The woman's expression remained calm. "I did not know mercenaries on Omega to be so quick."

"We're not your usual mercenary company," said the white-armored man. "You won't need to worry about her. We're already taking care of it."

The asari frowned. "I do not believe you," she said.

The white-armored man nodded. "We are," he said. "But if you wish, you can identify the body when we are done with her."

"Hm..." The asari stood back, appraising the white-armored man. Both remained impassive as ever, the dock worker looking on in silence. She glanced up at him, before looking back to the ship.

"Very well." The asari stepped forward. "But if you deceive me, there will be a very strict punishment. The Code would allow no less."

"I think you'll find you won't have to kill me, Justicar," the man replied. "Follow me, and we'll get you to where you need to go."

And with this, he turned, walking along. The mysterious woman followed in short order, her hips swaying ever so gently. The dock worker watched them go, the datapad held precariously in his hands.

"... What was _that_?" he asked aloud as they disappeared into the heart of Omega itself.

* * *

Jodie looked at the soupy mess that landed inside her bowl. She frowned at it, the sickly brown fluid seeming to congeal as it sat in her bowl.

She then looked up to the man who served her lunch. "And what is this?" Jodie asked.

The mess hall man–Gardner, she thought–simply smiled at her. "Oh, just some old beef stew." He paused, before leaning forward. "I know it doesn't look that appetizing, but trust me, it brings me back to my grandmother's kitchen!"

Aiden gurgled uncertainly, and Jodie found herself giving a subtle nod. "I hope she was a good cook," Jodie replied.

"You'll see," said Gardner. She patted Jodie gently. "Enjoy!"

Jodie was only able to give him an uncertain nod, before walking away to the nearby tables. She sat down there, gently laying her tray in front of her and grabbing a spoon. As she dipped it into the unsightly food, she pondered something, before taking the spoon out and having a taste of the broth.

And, much to her surprise, it was at least edible.

Jodie nodded. "Beats a diet of nothing but protein bars all day," she admitted.

Aiden gurgled his agreement.

Jodie then dipped her spoon back inside, hearing footsteps approach her. As she looked up, she saw Thane approach. The drell looked at her impassively, before he turned towards her.

Jodie swallowed, looking up at the drell as he settled in next to her. "Oh, Thane!" said Jodie.

"Hello," Thane replied. He leaned forward. "It was... Jodie, yes?"

"Yes," she said. Aiden trilled as Jodie made room, but Jodie was already doing her best to make it seem like nothing was off. "What brings you here?"

"I thought to spend a little time outside of my quarters," said Thane. He then paused. "It occurred to me that I never properly thanked you for bringing me to the ship. I have every confidence that my search for Kolyat will be easier under these circumstances than they had been when I operated alone."

Jodie swallowed, immediately tensing up her toes as she simply brought the spoonful up to her mouth. It was the best way she could hide her nerves, swallowing the soup as she nodded at him. "That's good," she said. She frowned, before looking over to him. "So, uhm... Why is your son somewhere else?"

"I left him in the care of my brother-in-law at a very young age," Thane replied. "I had intended to keep him safe. But... It seems not to have panned out."

Jodie glanced to the side, Aiden releasing an unamused series of clicks. "It would look that way, yes," Jodie replied. She looked over at him. "I have to say, you're not what I expected out of an assassin." She paused, looking away. "Well, not personality-wise, anyway."

Thane shook his head. "Many others have said the same before you," he replied. "I do wonder what makes you say that, though. You do not know me very well."

Jodie gestured to him as she downed another spoonful of broth from the stew. "Well, it's just... the way you carry yourself, you just look more tranquil than I would think," she replied.

Thane nodded. "I can see how that would throw you off," he said. "I suppose part of it is that assassinations are all I have ever known. I was conscripted in service to the hanar at a young age."

Jodie swallowed, Aiden trilling quietly as she glanced to the side. _No kidding..._ "You too?"

Thane frowned, turning to Jodie. "You were conscripted at a young age?"

Jodie nodded. "For a great many reasons," she said. "I'd rather not talk about that, though. Not right now."

Thane turned away, before remaining quiet. "We all have our demons," he said. "I suppose now is my time to put the last of mine to rest."

Jodie looked at him. "Long story?" she asked.

"Yes," said Thane. He bowed his head, closing his eyes. "I only hope I can put them to rest."

Jodie sighed, looking up at Thane. "I hope so too." She then looked to the stew, taking a bite out of a lump that she saw within it. "You should probably eat. This isn't as bad as you'd think."

Thane stood up. "I will do that," he said.

With this, he stood up, walking over to where Gardner stood. Jodie turned away, before looking up at Aiden. _You know... He actually seems pretty nice._

Aiden gurgled in reply. And as he did, Jodie could only smile, before digging in for another bite of her stew.

* * *

Morinth let out a grin, stepping into her sparsely decorated apartment. The human behind her looked around the apartment, the dark lighting almost seductive as they stepped in. The human brushed some dark grey hair out of his eye, giving a small frown as he examined it.

"A chess set?" the human asked as he stepped in.

"Yes." Morinth replied, swaying her hips gently as she moved to sit on the nearby couch. "I love any game where your opponent can believe he is about to win... Right before you kill him."

"A game of the mind," the human replied, walking to the chess set and picking up a castle. He frowned, inspecting the miniature tower before setting the item down. "You enjoy the thrill of manipulation."

"You said it back in the bar," Morinth replied, crossing her legs where she sat. "We both like power."

The human blinked, turning back to Morinth. "Power is everything," he replied. "But some wield it for different ends than others." He then strolled over to the couch, giving her a grin. "You seem to enjoy the hunt."

"I must have people who can prove they are strong," Morinth replied. She grinned, before leaning forward as the human approached. "It gives me satisfaction to meet others who can match me..."

"And you are never afraid of being surpassed?" asked the human as he opted to walk right up to Morinth, placing his arms on either side of her head and leaning forward, his lips getting dangerously close.

"Many have tried, but none have succeeded," said Morinth seductively, bringing a hand under the human's chin. "Come..." The human then leaned closer, coaxed on by her hand as she pulled him in close.

And then, her eyes went completely black. The human could only look directly into them. Morinth knew the thrill: the initial thrill of embracing eternity. There was a triumph in it, the moment she knew she had snagged her prey. She revelled in the feeling, watching him get drawn closer by the black eyes, sucking him in like a black hole.

"Tell me you want me," she intoned. "Tell me you would do anything for me... Anything I want..."

"Anything," the human replied, leaning forward until their breaths mingled. "Let me do anything for you, my queen..."

Morinth grinned, her victory assured. "Sssh, my darling," she replied. "Let me do the–!"

And then, she felt a sharp pain within her gut. Her eyes widened, the black immediately dissipating. And then, the human pulled back slightly, revealing a sick grin of his own. Morinth blinked in shock, before looking down at her torso.

There, embedded in her torso, was a strange blade the likes of which she had never seen before. She saw the dull green light disappear within her even as her black lifeblood flowed out around it. She then looked back up in shock, and opened her mouth to say something.

The human pulled, and all Morinth could do in reply was unleash a series of coughs, feeling more blood escape her mouth.

He stepped back, the blade suddenly vanishing. "We're similar, you and I," he said. "But unlike you, I know how to cover my tracks. I've been watching you personally for years, Morinth, and now the hunt has ended."

Morinth looked up with eyes wide in shock. "Th... Then..."

The human simply walked up to Morinth, patting her gently on the head. "Looks like I succeeded in surpassing you," he gloated. "The spirits will judge you when you arrive at their court. And let me tell you, it won't be pretty."

Morinth then looked up, her expression twisting into rage even as she saw darkness creep around the edges of her vision. "You... You son of a–!"

And then, Morinth felt a sharp pain stab her further up her chest. She let out a choked cry, and then the darkness rapidly consumed her vision as she lost all sensation in her body.

* * *

Jodie looked over at Miranda. The operative paced around the room, her attention centered on Jack. Jodie had to admit, she was not certain what she should have expected out of Jack, but it was certainly not the heavily tattooed bald woman in front of her. Jodie looked her over, her hands gripping the table softly as Aiden examined her in great detail.

 _Good God..._ Jodie thought.

Aiden could only give a quiet gurgle in response. And then he went still as Miranda's pacing stopped.

"Welcome to the Normandy, Jack," Miranda replied. "I'm Miranda, Shepard's second in command. On this ship, we follow orders."

Jack immediately turned to Shepard, who stood at the table close to Jodie. "Tell the Cerberus cheerleader to back off, Shepard," she replied, Jodie blinking in surprise at how harsh her voice was.

Shepard turned to Miranda, glaring at her. "Back off, _cheerleader_ ," he replied.

Miranda blinked in surprise, turning back to Shepard and narrowing her eyes. "Shepard?" she asked. "You know we follow orders."

"Yes, but I don't think you need to worry about her," he said. He leaned forward. "Now give her the files like I promised her, _cheerleader_."

Jack chuckled at this. "I haven't even been on here two seconds and you're already following my lead," she said. "This might actually be alright."

Miranda's stare turned into a glare, and Jodie could see that it was all Miranda could do to keep from giving an exasperated sigh. After a second, Miranda opened her omni-tool, looking to Jack as the bald woman smirked.

Jodie sighed, before pushing off the table. "We'll see," she said.

"And who the hell are you?" Jack said, turning her attention to Jodie.

"The tagalong kid," Jodie replied.

Jack chuckled. "Kid is right," she said. "Where the hell do they get you from, the colonies?"

"The Citadel, actually," said Shepard. As Jack's omni-tool pinged, Shepard crossed his arms. "I'm going to make one thing clear: Jodie here was part of my old crew from the Normandy, and as much as you might think so, she's not like Miranda. So I don't want to hear any lip coming from you about her, you hear?"

Jack shrugged. "What, I can't call her the runt?" she asked, her annoyance audible. "Oh well." She then turned, opening her omni-tool and looking at Miranda. "Thanks, cheerleader."

"I might just put you in the holding cells," Miranda said immediately. "Just in case."

Jack pushed off the wall, walking to the door of the briefing room. "No thanks, precious," she replied, pushing past Miranda. "I'm going to find something quiet at the bottom of the ship." She then looked back at Shepard as she hit the door controls to exit the room. "I don't like through traffic, just so you know."

She then walked away, the door closing behind her.

All eyes in the room were on the door after Jack's exit, though Jodie turned and saw Miranda shake her head before turning to Shepard. Jodie could tell from the way her eyebrows curved that Miranda was not happy. She turned to Shepard, splaying her hands out on the table.

"Really?" she asked. "Cheerleader?"

"Hey, it's appropriate," Shepard replied. "You just sit here making excuses for them all day."

Jodie frowned, looking up at the commander. "With all due respect, Shepard, she _is_ your second in command," she replied. "You might want to respect her more than that."

"I just thought it was funny," Shepard replied. "Nothing wrong with that, I figure."

Jodie shook her head. "When she's your enforcer, there's quite a lot wrong with it." She shook her head, before walking to the door. "Anyway, I'll be back in the mess hall if you need me. I don't even know why you called me up here."

"Just wanted you to meet more of the new blood," said Shepard. "You'll want to know these people very well, Jodie."

"I'm sure," she replied.

She did not even turn to Shepard as she exited the room. She quickly walked past the lab, seeing Okeer glare at her before she was back out in the CIC. Jack was already gone by that point, so Jodie knew the elevator would take a little bit to arrive. But as she stood at the elevator, Aiden trilled sharply.

 _Yeah, I think he's going to turn her, too..._ She shook her head. _God, so many people to figure out... How do we even get around all of them?_

* * *

Samara's expression remained placid as she entered the apartment. It had been cleaned out almost completely by the time she had arrived, and the armored man in front of her stepped to the side. Samara turned to another pair of white-armored men who stood to the side, both of them saluting her as she walked by gracefully. The Justicar simply turned away, not one to be taken aback by such a display of respect.

She then walked to the asari body in the center of the room, the black jumpsuit hugging her corpse rather tightly. She noticed two stab wounds through her torso, before kneeling down beside the asari. She saw how wide her eyes were, how her pupils seemed eternally wide from whatever had happened. But nevertheless, she knew those pupils, knew those eyes, those dangerous eyes...

Samara simply leaned forward, bringing her hands to the corpse before her.

"Find peace in the embrace of the Goddess," Samara intoned gently, sliding the asari's eyelids shut.

She then knelt in front of the corpse, closing her eyes and bowing her head. After a little while, she heard footsteps behind her, and before long someone stopped to her left.

"There," said the same man who had greeted her at the dock. "Your mission is complete. The Ardat-Yakshi is dead."

Samara opened her eyes. "And how did you know what she was?" she asked. "The Ardat-Yakshi are one of the asari's closest-guarded secrets. How would a group of humans know about them?"

"We can find things out most others can't," said the human. He then paused, looking out to the window. "Don't worry. We'll be vigilant. Hopefully, if we run into any more of them in the future, they won't take years to hunt down like this one did."

But Samara shook her head, standing up. "That will not be necessary," she said. "She was unusually rebellious. Most do not do what Morinth did."

"Regardless, your mission is done," said the human in white armor.

"Is it?" Samara turned to him, stepping forward with the same impassive expression. "This was my mission, and it was encroached on." She then turned to Morinth's corpse, looking at it almost longingly. "It was my personal mission to stop her, and I am afraid it is more personal than you could ever fathom. I spent centuries on this mission, only for it to be fulfilled by others."

The white-armored man tilted his head to the side. "Centuries travelling the galaxy so you could kill one woman?" he asked. He shook his head. "What's so special about her?"

"Nothing that you would ever be worthy of knowing," Samara replied. She then began to make her way to the door. "I may stay on Omega. There is much on this asteroid that I can do. But do not cross my path. I will not guarantee their safety."

"Even if they're doing good by any metric?" asked the white-armored man.

Samara paused at the door, turning her head and glancing at the man as she placed a hand on the door frame. "The Code is the only metric I need," she said. "And if they violate the Code, I will punish them."

With this, she exited the room. The two white-armored guards by the door watched her leave, before turning to their superior. One of them leaned forward, shaking his head and pointing at the door as it closed behind them.

"That... did not go according to plan," he said.

Their superior sighed, shaking his head as they moved to the corpse on the floor. "It did not," he said. "She would have been a valuable ally." He then looked up. "What could we have missed about her mission?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is..." The second guard shook his head. "I'll go inform the DGI. The Justicar alliance is back at square one."

"Very well." Their superior stepped back, watching the second guard as he walked closer to the window. "We will await orders and see what they tell us to do..."

* * *

Jodie sighed, looking out to the stars once again. As she did this, she heard Aiden grumbling lowly in the background. Jodie leaned back on her couch, her hand idly swinging by.

Aiden clicked gently, Jodie frowning.

 _So it's started, huh?_ she asked. _How is Okeer taking it?_

Aiden let out a series of clicks, all of them radiating with spikes of mocked anger. Jodie chuckled, her fingers curling. _Good,_ she said. _That was... That was really weird what happened when he woke Grunt up._

She then paused before sitting up. _What kind of name for a krogan is "Grunt", anyway?_ she thought.

Aiden gurgled. _Yeah..._ She then rested her head on the back of the couch, looking up at the ceiling.

After a second, Aiden giggled. Jodie blinked. _Let me guess, he just dropped a quip._

In reply, the entity was able to release a sharp whistle. He followed it up with another series of clicks, all of which crescendoed slowly, before they were punctuated by a trill.

Jodie rose her eyebrows at this. _Really?_ she asked. _He stood up for me that quick?_

Aiden gurgled. In response, Jodie frowned. _What's he saying now?_

In response, Aiden gurgled lowly, and in this gurgle Jodie could almost make out a mocking imitation of his voice. Jodie had to fight the urge to giggle, but as the gurgles went on, Jodie paused. She looked up, before sighing at the serious tone Aiden had adopted.

 _He really says that he values me?_ she thought.

Aiden clicked, before he continued his gurgles. And as the gurgles moved on, Jodie bowed her head. _He really trusts me... And here I am, trying to stop him from doing whatever it is he wants to do._ She sighed, shaking her head before looking up. _Are we just as bad as he is for betraying that trust?_

And then, Jodie was met with silence. She waited for a few seconds, but the seconds stretched on with no reply from Aiden. She looked out to the stars once again, her shoulders sagging slightly, that single thought magnifying itself.

Finally, Aiden gave a low murmur. She responded with a nod. _Yeah..._ She sighed. _It's such a messed up situation to be in._

Aiden clicked once in agreement.

Jodie then frowned, realizing something else. She stood up, before looking over to EDI. "EDI, is Jacob at the armory?"

EDI's globe appeared. " _He is,_ " said EDI. " _He indicated he wanted to speak to you._ "

"He did," said Jodie. "Tell him I'll be coming up there in a bit."

" _Very well,_ " said EDI. " _Informing him now._ "

Jodie nodded, walking over to the door. _Well, Aiden, I think we should get this conversation out of the way now, right?_

At the entity's click, Jodie smiled.

* * *

"Carhon, pass me that datapad over there."

"Sure thing, Xerxes."

The batarian stood up, walking over to Xerxes with the datapad in hand. Xerxes took it out of Carhon's hand, looking at the datapad as he scanned the contents. He frowned, walking away from the batarian as he tugged on his bodysuit a little bit, the suit hugging his body tightly. He walked past a dilapidated couch, before settling right by the door to the bathroom.

"Hm... I don't like this," Xerxes replied. "This Mahadood character seems to have an awful lot of backing..."

"And it's obviously not Council-based?" asked Carhon.

"Yes." Xerxes turned, looking back at Carhon. "You should tell someone in the Suns, you know. Tell them to take him seriously as a threat."

"I already have," said Carhon. "They just told me the Suns had it under control."

Xerxes handed the datapad back to Carhon. "Then show them that, at the very least," he said. "He's struck at several Eclipse bases, and from the troop movements poised here he looks like he's going for the jugular with Eclipse."

"They won't take it as a threat against them, though," said Carhon.

"They need to..." Xerxes shook his head, before walking to the window. "God, it just seems so strange that this galaxy is backing up Omega and the Council is doing absolutely nothing about it."

"Well, who wants a war with the Hegemony?" asked Carhon. He walked to Xerxes. "You know that would happen if Council forces tried to intervene here."

"They don't even talk about it like that, though," Xerxes replied. "They just don't think Omega is a problem. But it can be a problem: you know that, and I know that."

"Then what do you propose we do, Xerxes?"

Xerxes stopped, looking out the window of their small apartment to the cityscape of Omega below. It was a seedier part of town–which, considering Omega, was really saying something–but it was quiet for right then. He could not see Afterlife from this distance, but knew it was a short public transport ride away. It was a place nobody would expect Council surveillance, especially with how small his unit was.

He sighed. "I don't know," he said. "But I don't like this one bit."

Carhon paused, before he sighed. He walked towards Xerxes, gently pushing the datapad away as he approached. Xerxes frowned, but did not resist when Carhon gently pushed the datapad to the floor, before he rested his head just under Xerxes' chin.

"I'll try to talk to them again tomorrow," said Carhon. "It won't do much, but I'll try."

Xerxes nodded, before gently bringing an arm up to rest around Carhon's back. "Thank you, Carhon," he said. "It's good to see you're still dependable as ever, even if you put up more of a fight now." He shook his head. "But there's so much on the line here..."

"You're only stressing because you care," said Carhon. "You always cared a lot."

"And you used to love that about me." Xerxes paused, rubbing Carhon's back gently. "I never saw anyone else on the Citadel, you know."

"I figured," said Carhon. He sighed. "Honestly, neither did I. You kept coming into my mind every time I tried."

Xerxes nodded, closing his eyes. He said nothing, and in response Carhon settled into the embrace. They remained this way for a few seconds, before Xerxes leaned forward, pressing his mouth against Carhon's forehead.

Carhon did not resist, closing his eyes. "Tarak's going to kill me, you know," he said.

"To hell with Tarak," said Xerxes. "You know he never liked me."

"I know..." Carhon then pulled back, his hand lingering on Xerxes' as he held it ever so gently. "I hope they'll listen to me when I go out there. If not, we've got problems."

"I know," said Xerxes. He nodded. "I'll be here as always."

"And I will be back as soon as I can slip away," Carhon replied. He squeezed Xerxes' talon gently, before walking to the exit. "I'll let you know the next time I can slip away. I'll see you later, Xerxes."

"Until next time, Carhon."

Carhon gave Xerxes a rare smile, before he turned and exited the room. As soon as the batarian exited, Xerxes sighed. The turian turned around, looking out to Omega once again and letting out a heavy sigh. He held his hands behind his back, tapping his talons against each other.

He closed his eyes, letting his heavy exhale fill the apartment.

* * *

Jodie stepped into the armory, wringing her hands slightly as she watched Jacob work. The Cerberus agent only acknowledged her presence with a quick glance up, and he promptly went back to work as soon as he gave her that glance, using a small screwdriver to seal up a piece of armor.

Jodie crossed her arms, looking at his handiwork. "New modifications?" she asked.

Jacob nodded, before screwing the weapon part shut. "Okeer's new tech," Jacob replied. "You gotta give him credit, that krogan works fast. Not something I'd expect out of a krogan scientist."

"You wouldn't expect a lot of krogan scientists out there, right?" asked Jodie as she crossed her arms.

"No," said Jacob. "I may not like him much, but the man's smart. That counts for something."

Jodie nodded, before standing still as Jacob then paused, setting the screwdriver to the side. She frowned, before watching as he stood still.

"So, you said you wanted to talk to me?" asked Jodie.

"Hold still."

Jodie blinked in surprise, before looking at Jacob in surprise. "What for?" she asked.

"You'll see in a moment," he said. "Just give it a couple more seconds, and..."

And then, Aiden trilled loudly. Jodie had to fight her instinct to look at him, but before she could, Jacob looked around, opening his omni-tool. He then looked at the omni-tool, and it was then that Jodie saw a video feed on there. The two of them remained still, but it was when she saw herself and Jacob there that she blinked in surprise.

Jacob closed his omni-tool. "Good, it worked." He leaned towards Jodie. "You'll have to listen to me very carefully, and you should not move away from your current spot. I only have one, two minutes before EDI figures out I've hijacked the video and audio feeds. After that, we have to act like we _never_ had this conversation."

Jodie blinked, before leaning forward. "Wait," she said. "You're not what I _think_ you are, are you?"

"Possibly," said Jacob. He then leaned forward. "I'm in the Corsairs. Miranda thinks I've left them, but I'm still reporting to them when I can."

Jodie frowned, leaning forward slightly. "Then you can tell Anderson that I'm here!" she said.

"I mentioned you in a report I was able to send when we got Jack," said Jacob. "Anyway, we'll have to cross our notes in detail, but... I can't say too much right now."

Jodie nodded. "Do you know how they managed to resurrect Shepard?" she asked.

"Yes," said Jacob. "I can't tell you the whole deal now, though, because there is one thing I'm still confused by." He then looked up. "You've got your ghost friend on you, right?"

Jodie chuckled. "You should be scared when he _isn't_ ," she replied.

"Good," said Jacob. He then nodded. "The Commander plans to go groundside in a few days. When we disembark, I want you to meet me off the ship. I can tell you more there." He then looked up. "Can you do that?'

Jodie blinked, swallowing. It was then that Aiden trilled, and it was not a worried trill like she had feared. She exhaled, her shoulders relaxing as she looked to him. "Alright, I can do that," said Jodie. "But I hope there are no tricks involved."

"Not that I know of," he replied. He then opened his omni-tool, showing it to Jodie. "Get back in this position, now. And if you want to make it look like nothing happened, we've been talking about this technology at a volume too quiet for EDI to hear."

Jodie crossed her arms again, before remembering that she had also been leaning against the wall. She then leaned against the wall, looking to Jacob as he resumed his own pose. He held it for a few seconds, before Jodie heard a small beep from his omni-tool.

Jacob stood up, looking at his omni-tool. When he opened it, there was a message waiting for him. "Hm... Spam," he said. He shook his head, manipulating the omni-tool as if he were deleting a message. "I thought I'd found ways to get rid of this."

Jodie chuckled. _Even in the far future, there is still spam,_ she thought.

Aiden gurgled in amusement, even as Jodie stepped forward. "You'll find a way," she replied. She looked down. "Can't believe the tech works like that."

Jacob nodded, looking down at piece of armor as he moved it to the side of his work bench. "It's the most powerful heat mask I think has ever existed," he said. "It's a nifty little piece of tech for that..."


	4. Chapter 4

Tali'Zorah knelt by the technology on the floor of the bombed-out shelter they were holed up in. Her frown remained constant, and before long she stood up, shaking her head in frustration.

"Dammit," she whispered. "Another defective piece of equipment..."

She whirled on her heel, the quarian moving past a hole in the wall to walk to where another scientist knelt over some equipment. The scientist looked up, his eye lights narrowing slightly.

"Let me guess," he said. "Your analyzer just got shorted out by the sun."

"Again," Tali replied. She shook her head. "Everything we have taken to analyze this anomaly has shorted out!"

The scientist on the floor shook his head. "I know," he said. "And it is doing so faster than we can repair it."

"This equipment is not proofed for whatever is going on there," Tali replied. "Even some of our omni-tools have shorted out..."

"No kidding." The scientist looked up at the ceiling, before turning around. "Why are we even here, Tali'Zorah?"

"I don't know," said Tali. She began to pace around the room. "Father just said it would be important. I don't see what is so important here, though."

"Who knows?" said the scientist. He shook his head, before looking to her. "Just bring the equipment to me."

Tali nodded. "Alright," she said.

She then turned, stepping back out. She looked out to Haestrom's sun, standing in front of the now-defective equipment and sighing. She closed her eyes, shaking her head as she pondered on why she was on Haestrom in the first place. Her father had said it was an incredibly important mission, one that was almost too important for her to miss. And while she trusted her father, something about his tone of voice upset her: he seemed almost too desperate to get her to accept.

And in the end, there was very little to find. They had to avoid geth patrols, so that did not help, but she did not see what purpose analyzing Haestrom's sun could have served. It was all so strange, particularly the part where she could not communicate her mission to anyone.

She sighed, before bending down and picking up the piece of equipment. She then turned, walking into the building. As she did, she could not help but shake off the feeling that somebody was watching her.

* * *

"Kalahira?"

"Yes. The Goddess of death, and the oceans."

"Death and the oceans? Why that association?"

"The ocean was rare on Rakhana. It has also spelt death for us on Kahje. The ocean is thus where we go when we die."

Jodie nodded. She and Thane were seated across from each other at the mess hall, looking over some sloppy-looking breakfast. Jodie leaned forward, before lifting her hands slightly.

 _I never thought of it like that..._ she thought. _Did you, Aiden?_

Aiden released a series of clicks, but he then punctuated it with a soft trill. Jodie nodded. _I bet that the guys in that underwater base would have loved to hear about that!_

"That's fascinating..." Jodie said aloud, leaning towards the drell. "I've never thought of the afterlife like that."

Thane tilted his head. "Do you think much about the afterlife?" he asked.

"More than you might think." Jodie turned to the side. "I've had a lot of people go that way, you know."

"I am sorry to hear," said Thane. "Very important people, I take it."

"Yes," said Jodie. She looked up. "I remember my adopted father actually wanted to research the secret to the afterlife. He... was a scientist."

Thane frowned. "He wished to use science to explain what has no physical explanation?" he asked.

"Well, you know how they are," said Jodie.

"But the gods do not operate on a physical level," Thane replied.

"That didn't stop him," Jodie replied. "Grief will do funny things to you, especially when you care just a little too much."

"I see..." Thane bowed his head. "Guilt is a very powerful force as well."

Jodie nodded. "It is," she admitted. "And it sounds like you know quite a lot about that." She glanced up at Thane. "Do you feel like speaking about it?"

"Eventually," said Thane. "It happened many years ago, but I still grieve on occasion."

"You never really fully get over it," said Jodie.

"No," said Thane. "Particularly not in my case."

Jodie nodded. "The drell have eidetic memory, right?" she asked.

"We do," Thane replied. "And that only makes the pain more vivid when we do relive it." He then paused. "But we have ways to cope. Meditation helps, at least for me. And otherwise, reflection does so as well."

"I don't doubt it," said Jodie. "For you to be as tranquil as you are..."

"People have the capacity to surprise," Thane replied.

"Yeah." Jodie nodded.

Thane bowed his head politely. As his second eyelids nictated, though, his eyes turned away, and he then turned to face a point beyond Jodie. He promptly stood up, bowing his head. "Commander."

Jodie turned, blinking as soon as her eyes laid on Commander Shepard. She stood up as well, watching the commander approach in full armor. "Commander?" she asked.

"Jodie, Thane, there you are," said Shepard. "I need you two to suit up. We're going on a mission first."

"This is new, commander," Thane replied. "I thought we were informed well in advance?"

"This is technically a last-minute detour," he said. "It just came up. We're recruiting one last person." He then turned to Jodie. "You might know her, actually."

Jodie frowned. "Wait..."

Shepard nodded. "We'll be touching down soon," he said. "Jacob is already working on your load-outs, it will be a stealth-heavy load-out!"

"Yes, Shepard," said Thane as he bowed.

Jodie said nothing, her throat going dry. It was then that she remembered intelligence about a briefing Shala'Raan had given to Jodie just before she had set off for Freedom's Progress. And suddenly, the mission came to mind. And then, she looked up to Shepard, Aiden trilling slowly in realization.

"No..."

* * *

Tali walked up to the ship, her hand reaching out to touch it. She felt nothing under the tips of her fingers, but nevertheless she felt some comfort being able to touch the ship.

The other scientists had turned in to sleep for the night: she was the only one still awake at that point. The flurry of thoughts in her mind at that moment had prevented her from getting any kind of real sleep, and thus there she was in the night of Haestrom. The sun was setting on the other side, and while she would have liked to monitor whatever activity the admirals had her monitor she knew that it would be difficult, if not impossible, with the sun on the other side of the planet. Thus, she looked back up at the ship, sighing.

 _What are we even doing here?_ she asked for what must have been the millionth time that day.

"Can't sleep, ma'am?"

Tali turned. Out from the shadows stepped a rather tall soldier, his red suit standing out in the twilight. The assault rifle he held in his hands stood prominent above everything else, but when Tali turned to look at him, her body relaxed.

"No, Kal'Reegar," Tali replied. She turned, taking her hand off the ship. "I just... I have so many thoughts in my head."

"You want to talk about it, ma'am?" Kal asked.

"No, but thank you." Tali sighed, leaning back. "I guess you're on the watch again."

"You know how those geth bastards are, ma'am," Kal replied. "Never a dull moment around them."

Tali nodded, stepping away from the ship as she crossed her arms in front of her. "They have been rather quiet, though," she said.

"Only because we've been careful, ma'am," Kal replied. "Our unit of marines has been very carefully monitoring the perimeter all day."

"Good," said Tali. She looked up at the sky. "It at least seems quiet tonight."

"Well, it won't be once the sun fully sets," said Kal. "Not for us, anyhow. We've gotta be prepared for everything."

"Very true," said Tali. She then sighed, looking to the floor. "Do you think this mission is preposterous, Kal'Reegar?"

"Maybe a little, ma'am," said Kal. "But you never know what secrets await on Haestrom. They could be relevant to the admiral's interests."

"That is getting harder and harder to believe, but I note your skepticism," Tali replied. She nodded. "Means I'm not the only one here who sees something odd about all this."

"Some of the other marines are getting restless," said Kal. "But that's just going to help us out." Kal then nodded to her. "You should get to sleep, ma'am. The better rested you are, the better we can deal with all our malfunctioning equipment. And if that's done, we can all get off this damn rock sooner."

Tali nodded. "Of course," she said. "I'll try to sleep now. Thank you, Kal."

"Any time, ma'am," said Kal.

With this, Jodie walked away from the ship. Kal watched her enter the bombed-in facility that their ground team had settled in. As soon as Tali was out of sight, Kal turned away. He then brought a finger up to the side of his helmet.

"Kal'Reegar to central, I'm in position," he said. "Are the other lookouts in place?"

" _Yes, sir,_ " a female voice replied. " _The sky is pretty quiet tonight here._ "

Kal nodded. "It's quiet over here as well," he said. "Let's hope it stays that way."

* * *

"This is rather far from the site, is it not?"

"Yes. And yes, I know it's a little ridiculously far from the site, but we can't get too close. Those quarians with her have advanced scanning equipment."

Jodie shook her head, looking to the light armor that she wore. It was colored similarly to her usual armor set, but her load of weapons was much lighter than usual. She only had a pistol on her. She turned to Thane, seeing him check his sniper rifle over once again. He then slung it over his back, looking over to Shepard.

"It is still a long distance," said Thane.

"You'll be able to survive it," Shepard replied. He then leaned over to the panel, before landing the craft gently. "Now, you know the mission. Get in, find Tali, extract her, get out. In an ideal situation, we'll be doing so without anybody else knowing what's going on."

Jodie breathed in. "Yeah," she said. "In an ideal situation."

Aiden chirped once. _Don't remind me, Aiden,_ Jodie replied immediately. _Don't remind me..._

Shepard frowned. "Something on your mind, Jodie?" he asked.

Jodie shook her head, before crossing her arms. "So we know Tali would willingly go with us," she said. "But we're going to make it look like an abduction."

"Yes," said Shepard.

Jodie then turned to Shepard, splaying her hand out. "So what happens if the Fleet finds out that the whole kidnapping thing is a lie?" she asked. "Don't you care that she could get exiled for that?"

Shepard raised his eyebrow. "When did you get to learn so much about quarian law?" he asked.

"I travelled around a lot," Jodie replied. "That doesn't answer my question."

Shepard shook his head, before standing up. "Even if she is, they'll see their mistake once they know what I've got planned for them," he replied. "They'll come around eventually, and Tali will be redeemed."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that..." Jodie replied. Aiden gurgled. "You just never know with some people."

"What are your plans, anyhow?" asked Thane.

At this, Shepard could only grin. "You'll see," he said. He then moved to the door of the shuttle. "I have the coordinates on my omni-tool. Follow me, and we should be able to set up shop somewhere that we can figure out how to get in."

Jodie and Thane nodded, before they all exited the craft. "And there is no need to worry about geth patrols?" Thane asked.

"Oh, I've got the geth," Shepard replied. "Don't worry about them."

With this, he grinned at her. He then stepped out, Jodie seeing that they were in an alley with plenty of buildings around them. Shepard opened his omni-tool, before looking up at the alley before them.

"Alright, we need to go this way." He then began to walk down the alleys. Jodie and Thane followed, the shuttle doors closing as they began to move about in Haestrom's night.

* * *

"How many are there?"

"I count four marines patrolling the perimeter. No doubt there are others inside."

"Likely scientists. They won't be armed."

"They won't, not with marines around. But I'll bet you anything they know how to point and shoot at things. And anyway, we don't want them to see us."

"You think this won't be counterintuitive?"

"I've got an idea to make this all work out, Jodie. Just you wait and see."

Jodie frowned. She only crawled forward, sandwiched between Shepard and Thane from where they all were laid close to the edge of a building. They had found the quarians in an abandoned complex, likely a residential area from what Jodie remembered of Rannoch's architecture. They were a little far to see the marines amongst Haestrom's night sky, but before she could protest she saw Thane turn to her out of the corner of her eye.

"Here," he said. "You may wish to see for yourself."

Jodie nodded, taking the sniper rifle from Thane. She peered through the scope, noting the four marines. She watched their patterns, seeing one marine in particular give orders to another quietly. The other three marines listened intently, before they all split off from each other. After a few seconds, she saw they made rounds around the building.

She frowned. "They're leaving no stone unturned..."

"Looks like it." Shepard then pointed forward. "But they're guarding a residential area," he said. "There's always some way in there." He then nodded, before opening his omni-tool. "Some of my scouts I know did a sweep of this area. There's a basement area that leads directly inside. Chances are, they know the door is there, and someone's watching it."

"But do they know where it lets out to?" asked Jodie.

"Doubtful," said Shepard. "The entrance is close to them, though, so they might know."

"So no matter what, it's a crapshoot," said Jodie.

"Not quite." Jodie and Shepard both turned to Thane, the drell gently taking his sniper rifle from Jodie. "It is dark. If you allow me to go ahead, I can ensure our path to her is clear."

Jodie's frown spoke volumes. "What's your plan?" she asked.

"Blend in with the shadows," said Thane. "It is what I do best, after all." He then turned to Shepard. "I will need you to direct me to where I must go."

"Alright, but that means we'll have to go with you," said Shepard. "Tali won't believe you if you just tell her that I sent you after her. But you take point."

"Naturally." Thane nodded, before he crawled forward. "Allow me some time to go ahead and clear the way."

Shepard nodded. "As you want," he said.

Thane bowed his head, clasping his hands together. "Very well," he said.

With this, he slinked forward, before pulling himself to the edge of the building. With one heave, he pulled himself over the edge, landing very softly on the floor beneath. After a few more seconds, Thane vanished from view, catching even Jodie off guard.

* * *

Thane vaulted over the edge of the building. As he fell, the drell already analyzed the floor beneath him, noting the slope of the ground, the locations of the walls around him, the amount of force he would likely hit the floor at...

His feet hit the floor gently, but before he could do much more damage he rolled forward, working with the slope of the ground. He then flattened himself against the wall, quickly moving to the corner. He stopped at the corner, before turning his head and peering past it. Upon seeing the coast was clear, he began to move closer to the corner, before turning on it and sidling his way forward.

The drell then paused at another corner, peering past it. He opened his omni-tool, once again checking the map that Shepard had given him. He looked at his marker again, seeing that he had inched closer to the location. He had still seen no sign of anyone, however, and he began to wonder if the intel Shepard had received was faulty.

However, he shook his head, looking up. _This cannot be_ , he thought. _They may be closer to the center than I thought. In which event..._

Thane then looked down the alleyway he was situated in. He glanced at his map, scanning the line of the contour. He was very close to the entrance that would take them past the guards and directly to Tali'Zorah, he knew. He had covered quite a bit of ground in a very short time, he knew, but somehow he knew it would be too easy. He hesitated, even knowing that such hesitation could result in the mission failing.

Finally, however, he turned, looking to the other location his map pinpointed: his ultimate destination. He then nodded, looking up to the decrepit building. He scanned it for a second, before stepping away from the wall. He took a couple of steps back, and then rushed forward, quickly running up the wall. His hands grasped for the ledge of the building, and he quickly pulled himself up to the roof, rolling over as he surveyed his surroundings.

It was as he slowly crawled to the building's edge that he spotted the target building below. And there, indeed, the drell saw several quarian guards patrolling the area around the building. They all had assault rifles at the ready, the quarians looking out in silence. As they moved, Thane took note of the fact that their movements were leisurely, almost as if they were not expecting anyone to attack. He knew quarian marines were not to be underestimated, but he also remembered that there had been nothing that would alarm them to the fact that Shepard and the crew were there. Thus, he reasoned they would not be worried.

 _That will make it easier to use non-lethal force,_ the drell observed. He then looked over to his omni-tool again, inspecting it and looking at the map of the passageway. He then looked past the edge of the building, seeing that the guards were not paying much attention to the passage.

He then shook his head, before crawling back towards where he came. _They won't bother us,_ he said. _Still, just in case..._

The drell stepped forward, fading into the shadows as he quickly moved by the line of buildings directly leading to the source. He moved quickly, pausing at each of the openings between buildings and taking just a fraction of a second to inspect what was around. There was little in the way of guarding that Thane could see, and as he moved towards the entrance building, he continued seeing that.

Eventually, though, he stopped at one particular opening close to where the entrance to their building was. There, the drell finally caught sight of a pair of guards, the two of them walking just as leisurely as the others closer to the compound. One even seemed to be taking a little time to stargaze, his back against the wall. Thane held himself close to the wall, seeing one of the guards pay more attention to the nearby entrance.

The drell exhaled: if they were ever to break into the facility, he knew they would have to be dealt with. He then looked to the building he was against, examining the walls. It was just low enough that he could get to the roof, and with a note he saw a piece of debris that looked firmly lodged in place. He nodded, sidling over and pressing as much of his weight as he could into it. When it held, the drell then pressed his foot on it, before suddenly using it to jump to the roof. He grasped on, pulling himself up and moving closer to survey the area.

As far as he could tell, nobody else was watching these guards. He then nodded, looking back at them. He knew Shepard wanted non-lethal take-downs on these quarians, but Thane had never experienced such a thing in his repertoire. He pondered, before looking off to the quarians.

He then nodded, before he slinked into the shadows again.

* * *

"Hey, at least we get lovely skies."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

Lir'Valen looked up at the sky, leaning back. "Man, the geth had it lucky. They had all this to themselves for so long..."

"Mmhm." Yur'Vela looked away, the marine tapping his rifle.

Lir'Valen frowned, turning to Yur. "You don't sound like you care that much," he said.

"Why should I, when I see them regularly anyhow?" Yur turned, looking to Lir. "You shouldn't be so smitten with them."

"I know, but... there's something about having to look _up_ at them," Lir replied. "It's indescribable..."

Yur grunted, turning away. "You're too much of a dreamer," he replied. He shook his head, before turning away.

"Hey, we wouldn't have gone this far without a few," Lir replied. He sighed. "I just hope we get to stay here a little longer. You know how it is."

Lir nodded, before sitting there in silence. However, the silence became too overpowering, and with a frown, he turned to where Yur would have been.

"Yur, I don't think you–"

He was greeted by someone punching him in the stomach. Lir let out a wheeze, but before he could react, he heard someone insert something into one of his induction ports. He blinked in shock, before suddenly he felt very tired. No matter what he felt to fight it, the quarian then blearily blinked.

He could just make out the outline of a green drell, before sleep overcame him quickly.

* * *

Thane nodded, before propping the quarian where he sat. "There..."

He then looked back to where he had laid the other quarian, that guard laying on his back and facing the night sky. He was just out of sight, and Thane looked back.

The drell quickly unfolded his sniper rifle, surveying the compound the other quarians were at. There was not a soul who had noticed, however, for upon giving it another look he saw that nobody else was looking in that direction.

Thane nodded, folding his assault rifle back up. He noted how sloppy it was, before vaulting off the roof.

He quickly made his way to the entrance of the edifice, before opening the door. He looked inside, seeing no other signs of quarians. He knew this meant the remainder were likely inside, and if the guards were outside, it meant others were likely sleeping inside.

 _I will survey it just in case,_ he thought.

He then brought a hand up to his comms piece. "Shepard, I have secured the entrance we are using," he said. "Come here now."

" _Already?_ " He heard Shepard chuckle. " _You work quickly_."

"Quickly and efficiently is the only way to work in this business," Thane replied. "I will scout ahead within the building. Meet me at the entrance."

Shepard nodded. " _After you,_ " he said.

Thane nodded, before he vanished into the building.

* * *

Tali sighed, sitting back in her isolated room as she inspected the equipment. As she had expected, the circuitry had been fried beyond repair, and she knew it was something that would require a new chip she did not have. She let out a frustrated sigh, shaking her head as she looked around.

She then stood up, walking over to a nearby window. The moonlight streamed in, and as she looked up at the stars of Haestrom's night sky she wondered whether or not she was really doing something worth helping the Fleet over. She had heard the way some of the marines had spoken about her in hushed tones: there was something about this mission that just rubbed her the wrong way. The lack of any real meeting of geth resistance did not help, either: one time, she thought she had seen a geth patrol, but the others had waved it off.

She wanted to trust that the others in her unit were right: yet, from the way they conducted themselves around the mission, Tali had the feeling that there was some purpose they were hiding from her. She dared not speak up, but she knew what she was seeing all around her.

She let out a sigh, before turning back to the equipment on the floor. "Perhaps I'll have better luck tomorrow," she said. "There _must_ be some reason they're interested in the sun."

"They're not. Trust me, Tali, they're just idling here while nothing is going on."

Tali gasped, looking up to the silhouetted figures that had just stepped into the room. Tali frowned, quickly grabbing her knife from her ankle and holding it defensively.

"And who are you?" Tali asked.

Tali heard a chuckle. "My dear Tali, don't tell me you already forgot the sound of my voice. I thought that, amongst other things, you'd remember that most of all."

Tali stopped, her knife held in the air. She then noted the silhouette, her eyes widening as she caught the familiar curve of the jaw line, the way his eyes danced in the moonlight... And then, as he stepped into the light, he saw his close shaved head. And then, glistening white teeth, all in a familiar formation.

The quarian breathed in, nearly dropping the knife in shock. She then looked back to the other two silhouettes, before turning back to the man in front of her.

"J... John..." Tali broke out into a smile, before she sheathed her knife and threw herself into Shepard's arms. "John!"

John wrapped his arms around her, gently rubbing the small of Tali's back as he placed his chin over her face mask. "Tali..." He smiled, squeezing her gently. "Oh, Tali, you have no idea how much I looked forward to this..."

Tali sniffled, shaking her head as she pulled herself closer. "My _hesh'la_..." She sighed, scratching Shepard's back. "Oh..."

Shepard pulled back, grasping Tali's hands gently and looking down at her. He then blinked, noting her veil and her suit. "You got a new suit..."

"I am no longer a pilgrim, John," Tali replied. She shrugged. "As such, I got a new veil."

Shepard nodded, his fingers trailing along the material as he felt it. "It suits you," he said. "It's lovely... Just like you."

Tali blushed, before she grasped Shepard's hands. "It was a lonely six months without you..." she said softly. She then looked down. "But you probably just experienced it as a blink of an eye."

"Well... That's debatable," said Shepard. "But we can talk about that later. We need to go."

Tali frowned. "Then it's true," she said. "You do need my help."

"How did you know?"

Tali blinked, before turning to the second silhouette. She then blinked, before realizing that the shadow was a little short. She stepped forward, her eyes widening as she recognized the curve.

"Jodie?" asked Tali. "You're here too?"

"Yeah," said Jodie. She glanced to the side. "It's more that he conscripted me, but–"

"Jodie!" Tali stepped forward and hugged Jodie gently. "Jodie, of all the people to be with the Commander, it's...?" She shook her head. "You never responded to any of my messages!"

Jodie chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. "I had a lot going on," she replied. She then glanced outside. "Look, we can get the reunion over with later. We should probably get going."

Tali nodded, looking to Jodie and Shepard. "You're right," said Tali. She glanced around, before grabbing her pistol where it laid by where she usually slept. "Yes, we should deal with that." She then turned to Shepard. "You need me, don't you?"

"Obviously," said Shepard. "And you'll come with me, right?"

"You didn't even need to ask," said Tali. She then smiled, turning up to Shepard. "Anything for you, my _hesh'la_."

Shepard smiled, before he looked to the third silhouette. "Then our work here is done," he said. "Can you lead us back out?"

"Naturally." Tali paused at the raspy voice that replied, not recognizing either the voice or the silhouette. She then shook her head, watching him as he turned back towards the door. "Hopefully they will not take advantage of our slight distraction."

"I doubt it," said Shepard. He then gestured to the man. "Lead the way, Thane."

The silhouette nodded. He then turned, opening the door. Tali thought he saw a light flash of green from the light behind the door, before he vanished from view. Jodie followed suit, and then Shepard crossed the apex. He turned back to Tali, giving her a relieved smile.

Tali replied in kind, sparing one brief glance at her quarters before she left the room, following him quickly as they moved around the building as quietly as they could.

* * *

The rush back to the shuttle had been quiet, as had the ride back to the Normandy. Shepard and Tali were sat off in the corner, and meanwhile Thane only meditated in the corner. This left Jodie to look back to the shuttle pilot, some bright-faced Cerberus recruit who didn't really say that much. Jodie only watched as Haestrom pulled away, a flurry of thoughts going through her mind.

 _God, I hope whoever led that unit finds the little drive I left behind,_ she thought. _And more importantly, I hope they've got the right ports for it..._

Jodie then sighed, looking off to the side. She heard someone approach, and after a second, she turned to see Tali approach.

"Jodie..." Tali bowed her head. "You're okay."

Jodie chuckled. "What else would I be?" she asked.

"Well... It's just that I didn't hear from you for so long," she said. "And... Well, I would have liked to have heard from you sometimes." She sighed, looking back to Shepard.

Jodie frowned at the commander. "So were you involved in finding him?" she asked.

"Yes," said Tali. "I had to keep it top secret, and... I delayed my return to the Fleet for it."

"You couldn't pass up the chance, could you?" asked Jodie.

"I'll tell you about it some other day," Tali replied. She looked back to Shepard, letting out a sigh. "But I couldn't. Not with the chance to see him again." She bowed her head, looking up at Jodie.

"I see..." Jodie frowned. "Seems a little strange for you to side with Cerberus."

"No, not with Cerberus," said Tali. "There's a lot more going on that you don't know about." She bowed her head. "I'm sure Shepard will tell you about it some day. I think he was waiting until I got here to tell you, but... there's a lot more to him than you might think."

Aiden let out a sardonic gurgle, but Jodie only frowned. "Really?" she asked.

"I think he should tell you," said Tali. "I'll have to talk to him about it, but I think he needs to tell you himself. It's something he should've told you a long while ago, actually."

Jodie's eyebrows perked. "Oh, I see..." She nodded. "Well, you do that."

Tali nodded, before smiling up at Jodie. "It's good to see you again," she said. "I almost called you myself."

Jodie nodded, before placing her hand on Tali's. "It's good to see you too," she said. "I just hope you don't regret coming here..."

"I'm sure I won't," said Tali. "Trust me, whatever helps Shepard will help the Fleet."

"Even if you just up and left them like that?" asked Jodie.

Tali nodded, opening her omni-tool. "I had a message prepared in case something like this happened," she said. "I sent it to the admirals as we left Haestrom."

"They won't be too happy to hear about that," said Jodie.

"They can go to hell," said Tali, waving her hand dismissively. "It should be obvious to anyone that I was simply idling on Haestrom. I don't know why they kept me there, but I was of no use to anyone there. If even my father can't allow me to contribute to the Fleet..."

"And what makes you think they would do that?" asked Jodie.

Tali sighed, rubbing her elbow. "That's another long story," she said. She let out a sigh, before looking to Jodie. "Promise you will talk with me after Shepard tells you the truth."

At this, Jodie could only smile, Aiden trilling lowly. "Of course, Tali," she said. "Anything you need."

* * *

Kal'Reegar watched Haestrom's sun rise quietly. The quarian marine remained silent, feeling sleep tug at him gently. Soon it would be time for the scientists to set up and watch their equipment fail all over again. It was not a sight Kal was looking forward to, but thankfully he knew he would be asleep for at least some of it.

Even as he yawned, this thought gave him some comfort.

He heard the hustle and bustle of footsteps behind him. Kal looked behind him, seeing a marine run up to him and give a salute. Kal chuckled, giving him a smile. "You're up bright and early," he said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Too well, sir!" Kal frowned at the hurried tone with which this marine replied. He then noted the way the marine's shoulders tensed in the light. "Sir, we have a _big_ problem."

Kal frowned, any thought of sleep suddenly leaving his body. "What happened?" he asked.

"Sir, Tali'Zorah has vanished."

Kal blinked. As soon as he did this, he rushed pash the marine, his steps moving quickly. "What?" he shouted.

He burst back into their hidden building, looking over to where Tali'Zorah was... or rather, where she should have been. The room she had all to herself was empty: much of her equipment was gone, her weapons were nowhere in sight, and worst of all, she was nowhere to be seen. Kal examined the room, before he noticed the other two marines that were inspecting the room. He then looked back to the center of the room in shock.

"What happened?" asked Kal as he turned to one of the other marines.

The two marines paused, before turning to Kal and snapping a salute. "We don't know, sir," one of them replied. "We kept a good watch on Tali throughout the night, but when we knocked on her door this morning there was nothing to be found."

"And she isn't around the perimeter?" asked Kal.

"That's the first place we checked, sir," said the second marine. "She's not there either."

Kal shook her head. "And the life signs beyond here?"

"Nothing there either, sir," said the marine. "As far as I know, she's gone!"

"Shit!" Kal's fist slammed against the adjacent wall, looking down at the equipment just outside the room. "This isn't good." He then turned to the marine. "Is there _any_ sign of where she might have gone?"

"No, sir," said the marine.

Kal sighed. "Has anyone contacted the geth yet?"

All the marines froze, before they turned to Kal. "Uhm..."

Kal frowned, crossing his arms. "You haven't contacted them yet, have you?"

"N-no, sir," said the second marine. "We wanted to wait until you saw this to see what you think."

Kal sighed, bringing his palm to his face mask. " _Keelah_..." he shook his head. "This is an emergency. If it's an emergency, you contact the damn geth. Do I make myself clear?"

The two marines gulped. "Y-yes sir!" they both replied. They then turned to one of the scientists. "Y-you heard him!"

"Right away!" The scientist then nodded, before opening his omni-tool and stepping out of the room.

Kal had half a mind to follow, but he stayed behind. As he surveyed Tali's room, he sighed, shaking his head as he put his hands on his hips. "Shala'Raan is _not_ going to be happy she's gone," he noted.

The second marine stepped towards Kal. "Do you think it's... them?" asked the marine.

Kal frowned. "I don't know," he said. He then turned to the two marines. "Either way, that may be a possibility. I don't know how to confirm that, though."

"Well, that's the funny thing," said one of the marines. He then stepped forward, holding something small in his hand. "I found this when I searched her room. It wasn't there last night..."

Kal took the small object away. He frowned, looking at the object closely as he brought it close to his face mask. "What is this?"

"I don't know," said the marine. "But it looks like it was left behind deliberately."

"A message?" asked Kalo.

"Perhaps," said the marine. "In the meantime, we'll investigate what we can here. And once we're done... Well, I guess we head back to the Fleet?"

"We'll have no other choice," said Kal. "We failed our main objective. Now, we have to return to the admirals, report what happened..."

He sighed. "And then we have to hope the worst won't come to pass..."


	5. Chapter Five

Jodie sat idly, looking out the stars of the observation deck. Tali had already been through the whole orientation with Miranda, she knew that much from Aiden: Jodie had elected not to sit in this time, knowing that it would only devolve into another session of Shepard lambasting Cerberus again. It usually happened that way whenever Shepard and Miranda were in the same room, and Jodie was not certain how much more of it she could deal with.

Aiden gurgled as she sat there. Jodie only sighed, laying back on the couch. _I know, Aiden,_ she thought. _But you know how it usually goes._

To this, though, Aiden chirped rather loudly. Jodie frowned, looking to where Aiden was. _Wait, it was Jacob that gave it this time? Damn... What did he say then?_

The entity's gurgling slowed. Jodie promptly sat up, and she nodded. _Oh..._ She then held still, her gaze turning to the wall. _Well, at least he didn't do what he normally does._

Aiden clicked in the affirmative, before he unleashed a slow trill that evolved into a gurgle. _Yeah... I wonder what it is about Jacob where Shepard is a little more open with him..._

Jodie shrugged, before standing up. As she did, though, EDI's holographic circle came up. " _Jodie, you seem rather lost in thought,_ " she said.

Jodie chuckled. "You know how I am, EDI," she said. "Hard not to when you're in a room like this."

" _Duly noted,_ " EDI replied. She then paused. " _I was told to inform you that we will be docking on Omega soon._ "

Jodie blinked, frowning as she leaned forward. "Omega?" she asked. "Why are we docking there?"

" _Shepard has some information he needs to follow up on,_ " EDI replied. " _Additionally, our vessel requires refueling and resupplying, both of which we can acquire at Omega._ "

"And you're telling me this... why?" asked Jodie.

" _Jacob wished to see you off of the ship, in Afterlife_ ," said EDI. " _Shepard will be elsewhere on Omega. And after he is done, he wished to speak with you and Tali'Zorah_."

Jodie nodded. "Thanks," said Jodie. "Tell Jacob I'll meet him right outside the ship once we dock."

" _Noted,_ " EDI replied. " _Shepard will talk to you when he wishes to talk._ "

"Thank you, EDI," said Jodie.

EDI's hologram then disappeared. Jodie sighed, crossing her arms and patting her elbows as she looked to Aiden. For a brief second, she thought about Kalo: she wondered whether or not Kalo would be available, maybe they could actually see each other at some point. Xerxes, too, would be there, and maybe...

Jodie sighed. _No,_ she thought. _That would compromise their work, and with how sensitive it is we can't risk that._

Aiden gurgled understandingly. Jodie did not reply, instead looking back out to the stars.

 _Well, I guess there's no better time than the present,_ she thought. She then shrugged. _Come on, Aiden. I'm hungry._

Jodie stepped out of the observation room. Aiden clicked as she stepped over to where Gardner was preparing the next meal, hovering about her as Jodie pondered on about what Jacob would tell her.

* * *

Jodie walked over to engineering. As soon as she had passed the elevator, though, she saw Okeer walk past her to use the elevator. The large krogan only gave her a brief glance, before scoffing and walking past her. Jodie looked after him as he disappeared into the elevator, before she turned. Aiden trilled at her, though, and then Jodie nodded, looking back at the elevator as she quickly made her way to the place where Okeer had come from.

When Jodie entered, she saw Grunt sitting at a chair, looking over a datapad. The tank had been removed for a while before then, and now the room looked just a little emptier. Grunt glanced up from his datapad, glancing at Jodie from the edge of his gaze as he paused whatever he was doing.

"Oh," he said. "It's the runt."

Jodie chuckled, shaking her head as she stepped in. "You too, huh?" she asked.

"Oh." Grunt shook his head, looking back to his datapad. "Didn't think Okeer would have the quad to say that to your face."

Jodie frowned. "Wait, Okeer?"

Grunt frowned, looking up from his datapad again. "He hasn't spoken to you?"

"No," said Jodie. She shrugged, stepping further into the room. "Besides, it wasn't him that called me that, although I'll tell you one thing; it seems to be a recurring theme that krogan call me a 'runt' whenever there's one nearby."

"So it's not just him?" asked Grunt.

"No," said Jodie. She then leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "The first one was the first krogan I ever met. He was on the original Normandy, just like me. Great guy."

Grunt turned. "And he was krogan."

"His name was Urdnot Wrex." She turned to Grunt. "Shepard never told you about him, did he?"

"Shepard?" asked Grunt. "Shepard doesn't come down. He mostly talks to Okeer." Grunt then paused. "But... 'Wrex' sounds familiar."

 _Oh... Huh._ As Aiden chirped above her, Jodie smiled. "Well, Wrex was a good guy," she said. "You wouldn't have known it at first with how brash he was, but... He was pretty cool. And if you got on his good side, he fought with you to the bitter end."

Grunt frowned. "Wrex..." He then pointed up. "Okeer talks about him." He frowned. "He says he's a coward. He didn't take a cure for the genophage."

Jodie blinked, before glancing to the side in shock. "Wait... how the hell did he find _that_ out?" she asked.

Grunt stood up. "So it's true!" he said.

Jodie frowned, glancing to the side. "What did Okeer tell you about that incident?"

The young krogan shrugged. "Nothing more," he said. "He just said the genophage cure was abandoned by Wrex."

"Did he mention the part where the reason he left it behind was because Saren would've used it to control the krogan?" she asked.

Grunt blinked, his foot grazing over the floor slightly. "No," he said.

Jodie nodded. "Well, Saren was going to wave it in front of the krogan as a way to control them," she said. She snorted, shrugging. "And how would that help the krogan?"

Grunt frowned, looking down to the floor. "Hmph." He then looked up. "You actually make sense."

"Believe me, I say that as someone who knows what it's like to be used to do someone's dirty work," she said. "It doesn't make you strong to just follow blindly."

"I see." Grunt looked at the datapad, before turning his attention to Jodie. "You shouldn't stay long. Okeer wanted me to read this thing. Some long manifesto."

"Is he quizzing you on it afterwards?" asked Jodie.

Grunt frowned. "Quizzing?" he asked.

Jodie nodded. "When he asks you things to make sure you read it," he said.

Grunt chuckled then, standing up. "Hah, that's a good one!" he said. "I'll remember that."

"Then I'm probably distracting you," she said. She then stood up, walking to the door. "I won't trouble you any more, then."

Grunt frowned, but said nothing more as he turned away from Jodie. "Sure."

The tank-bred krogan then began to read from his datapad. Jodie looked on for a second, watching him read intently. It was only then that she noticed the armor he wore for the first time: it was steel grey, covering his hump almost too well. The large suit of armor seemed rather heavy, but Jodie was sure the young krogan could take it.

And as she studied him, she turned her attention to the young krogan's studious face. He was clearly concentrating on the datapad, holding it close at hand as he sat back down. As soon as he did, he seemed to not acknowledge that Jodie was in the room anymore.

Aiden gurgled in response. Jodie nodded, turning to the door. _That he is, Aiden,_ she thought. _That he is_.

Jodie cast a final glance at Grunt, before tapping the door controls and stepping out of the room.

* * *

Jodie stepped outside of the ship. She was immediately greeted with grime and the disapproving stares of a bunch of batarians. She caught a group of three of them waiting right outside where the Normandy SR-2 had docked, all of them crossing their arms. Aiden gurgled, but Jodie had only needed to take one look to know that she would be able to handle them easily.

She thus walked past them, ignoring their piercing gazes. She did have to admit it was not a sensation she was used to feeling, having twice the usual pair of eyes peer at her from batarians, but in the end she knew she had to get used to it.

And then, she walked out, seeing the entrance of Afterlife emblazoned on a huge structure in the center. All about, she saw people milling everywhere: on the left, she saw a couple of batarians in blue armor confronting a civilian, and on her right she saw the vorcha dragging a varren along to some destination. There were various other things, but she did not rest on them for long.

She thus turned her eye to Afterlife. As she approached, she noticed the line outside. She saw a lone turian guarding the entrance, though the assault rifle he had in his hand showed he meant business. She briefly thought of how weird it was that a simple guard would need an assault rifle, but she stored that in the back of her mind as she looked to the line.

And then, she saw Jacob right at the back of the line. She then nodded, walking over to him quickly. She examined his civvies, seeing him in the same kind of run-down outfit everyone else around him wore. As she approached, she pulled on her own older-style jacket, the leather feeling gritty in her hands as she approached.

Jacob stepped back as soon as Jodie approached. "You took your time," he said.

"Sorry," she said. "I had a hell of a time finding an incognito outfit for this."

"When EDI would see it?" Jacob asked.

"Well, did she see you?" asked Jodie.

Jacob nodded, biting his lower lip gently. "Fair point," said Jacob. He then turned away, crossing his arms. "You know why we're here."

Jodie nodded. "How far deep do we go in?" she asked.

"To the part where nobody will expect us..."

* * *

"Eugh, really? We had to go in a place with _strippers_?"

"No one would think to check for us here."

"Still... And with all the ears."

"Techno's covering it up. Plus, the strippers aren't huge gossips around here. I think the patrons watching them will make sure of that."

"If you say so."

Jodie then leaned forward, Aiden chirping in clear disgust. Jodie could only scoff in agreement, before she turned her attention back to Jacob. They'd poured out the alcohol already, and Jodie had to admit she already did not think much of the sour-tasting drink she had gotten from him. She also was not so hot on the alcohol, but she knew that blending in was key when there were all sorts of factions likely to listen in on their conversation.

She only hoped the techno was on loud enough to cover them.

"So..." Jodie leaned closer to Jacob. "How did Shepard come back?"

"We called it the Lazarus Project," said Jacob. "Technically, it was a Cerberus initiative, and the Illusive Man poured hundreds of millions into this project to resurrect the commander."

Jodie frowned. "Why?" she asked. "Why, after all the things Shepard did to dismantle Cerberus?"

"The way Miranda explained it to me, he was the best hope anybody had of stopping the Collectors," said Jacob. "From how the Illusive Man phrased it, we needed his skills and his leadership to put the project together." He shook his head. "And as far as I know, I don't think the Illusive Man knows anything about Shepard's real origins."

"That's really strange, though," said Jodie. She then leaned forward. "Wouldn't you guys have noticed that there was something off about Shepard's biology at some point while you were resurrecting him?"

"That's what I thought when Miranda brought me to the project," said Jacob. He shook his head. "Unfortunately, I never found out exactly why that was. I was only on the project for two weeks before we were forced to leave the station. It didn't give me anywhere near enough time to probe into what exactly happened on that station, but I know there was something fishy going on there."

"And it wasn't from Cerberus," Jodie continued.

"Exactly." Jacob took a swig of his drink, before leaning towards Jodie. "From what I understand, initial projections for the project had it taking several years at the very least. But... somehow, when I was there, they'd made much more progress than they thought they would have. And there was an unusual amount of imported technology they were trying..."

Jodie glanced to the side. "And you think that was artician tech," she said.

"That's the only theory that makes sense," Jacob replied. "But I'm confused as to where that link comes in, or how they managed to get it in there."

"Hm..." Jodie rubbed her chin. As she did, she turned to Jacob. "Was it just you and Miranda there?"

"Oh, no, of course not," said Jacob. "There was a whole team of scientists there. I never really got to know most of them well, but we had scientists and a security detail. The only one I knew was Miranda's right-hand man Trent Wilson." He then paused. "Wilson betrayed the project, though, forcing us to resurrect Shepard early. Miranda had killed him before we could find out who he was working for, though."

Jodie frowned, her eyes narrowing as she splayed a hand across the table. "Trent Wilson..." She looked up at Jacob. "I take it nobody told you who the Cerberus defector is."

Jacob rose his eyebrows, leaning forward. "Why's that important?" he asked.

"Because if that's his name, I _think_ I know how your project got the artician tech," said Jodie. She then shook her head, tapping her fingers. "Some of Kim's files mentioned that there were a few replacement people in this galaxy right now, but of all the people..."

Jacob frowned, leaning forward and looking at her. "You're not saying the Wilson I knew was an exion, are you?" he asked.

Jodie nodded. "Trent Wilson was the Cerberus defector we picked up in our run to the other galaxy," she said. She then paused. "How did you guys not notice the glowing eyes? And how did you not know the defector's name?"

"The defector's name was considered above my need to know," said Jacob. "I guess it makes sense since his identity doesn't matter much, but now that I know that..." He paused, before leaning forward. "I guess now his penchant for wearing sunglasses indoors made some amount of sense. I always thought they were a bit huge on his face. But even when he had them off, they didn't glow. I don't know how he did it, but..."

Jodie frowned. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now." She then paused again, before leaning towards Jacob. "The parallel galaxy seems to have more of a foothold within Cerberus than I thought..."

"No kidding, if they were able to infiltrate the Lazarus Project," said Jacob.

"Or even instigate its implementation," said Jodie. She then opened her omni-tool, opening a file-sharing app as she looked to Jacob. "I'm going to hand you some files that our friend gave us. They're files about missions given to various people. We've been trying to make sense of them, but now that we know this..."

"You think they make more sense?" asked Jacob.

"Tali was given a mission by the parallel galaxy to retrieve Shepard's body before she returned to the Fleet," said Jodie. "The mission parameters never made any sense, but now that we know the Lazarus Project's second-hand man was an infiltrator, that file makes a lot more sense. Not to mention that some files we uncovered about Shepard afterwards have been about some 'Project' or something. We weren't sure what it was referring to."

"I guess now we know," said Jacob.

"Yeah, I guess we do," Jodie replied.

"You think they were trying to infiltrate Cerberus with the Commander?" asked Jacob.

Jodie chuckled, Aiden releasing a small trill. "I mean, think about it," she replied. "The commander died unexpectedly, he left a whole lot of work in his wake... Hell, they were even close to assaulting the Cerberus base before he died." She paused. "And they need the commander as a figurehead, so they couldn't very well leave him to die..."

"It sounds like this was a strategy to get their figurehead back," said Jacob.

"Not to mention it bought them a little time and distracted the Illusive Man for a while," said Jodie. She then tapped the table, shaking her head. "But why wouldn't they just continue his work? Why go through all this effort to bring him back? That's what I don't get."

"That makes two of us," said Jacob. He rubbed his chin, before taking another sip of his drink. "That's something we'll need to ask your friend to look into."

"Yeah, it is," said Jodie. She then opened her omni-tool, writing out a new message quickly. "In the meantime, Aiden hasn't discovered anything new."

"Has it been detected by Shepard?" asked Jacob.

"No," said Jodie. "And if he hasn't seen Aiden by now, he won't be able to, ever." She paused, glancing to the side. "My friend still has to explain how he was able to shoot that laser thing into Balak's eye, but is not able to see Aiden."

"Well, we'll just count our blessings where we can get them for now," said Jacob. He leaned forward slightly, turning to Jodie. "I'm going to try something potentially risky."

Jodie frowned. "Why?" he asked.

"It's to get sensitive information I need from the Commander's computer," said Jacob. "If you say they were close to finding Cerberus' base, we need to beat them to it, and I bet you anything they've got something on it sitting on his terminal in the captain's quarters."

Jodie nodded. "But what makes you think he'd have it?" she asked.

"You said it yourself: they needed a figurehead," said Jacob. "And if they need a figurehead, chances are he's going to want in when they assault the Cerberus base. They'd likely keep him in the loop just for that."

"That's a good point," Jodie said, rubbing the underside of her chin. "Still, they probably would keep that communication to a minimum..."

"I've got a plan," said Jacob. "It'll require the Commander to be off-world during a mission, but I think I know how we can get in there."

"And can we do that without the AI knowing?" asked Jodie.

"If all goes according to plan, yes," said Jacob. "Your little ghost friend can help, right?"

Aiden gurgled. "He can," said Jodie, tapping her fingers against the table. "I just hope it's nothing too crazy."

"We'll see how crazy it is." Jacob nodded, before he leaned forward. "Oh, and if possible, I'm going to try to get the crew out of this alive," he said. "They had nothing to do with anything Cerberus has done, or even anything with the Lazarus Project."

"I didn't think so," said Jodie. "You do what you can. I think I can also bring Thane in to our cause."

Jacob frowned, tilting his head to the side. "Thane?" he asked. "Why him?"

"I think he can be trusted," said Jodie.

"I don't know," said Jacob. "He's an assassin. You know their loyalty can change depending on who pays more."

"I don't think he'll ask for much money," said Jodie. "Besides, he's doing this for no money. I trust him, I think we can bring him on."

Jacob shook his head, before leaning closer to Jodie. "And what the hell can you use on Thane?" he asked.

"I can think of a couple of things," she said. "I know where his son is, and I think there's something else Aiden has noticed. And... well, we're getting along well."

Jacob glanced to the side in distaste. "Good to know," he said, his throat looking a little tight as he said this. "Good to know."

Jodie saw a curtness in the way Jacob turned, away, the silence between them stretching. Jodie gulped, but thought better of asking Jacob what the problem was. She instead tapped the table with her finger, letting out a soft sigh.

"Does Miranda know?" Jodie asked. "About anything around Shepard's origins?"

"No," said Jacob. "And I can't tell her now: if she finds out that Shepard is undermining the Illusive Man before we know what Shepard's plans are, it'll put our whole operation at risk. It's better if she doesn't know."

"And is she trustworthy?" asked Jodie.

"I'm still trying to figure that out," said Jacob. "But I think she can be. We just have to figure out how to wrest her from her loyalty to Cerberus."

"She is very loyal," Jodie commented. "I guess as much as I'm not a fan of Jack, she's not wrong about the 'cheerleader' bit."

"That she's not, but... I don't know, she doesn't seem like a bad person to me," said Jacob. He shrugged. "If we can get her on, I say we try to do that."

Jodie nodded, Aiden clicking in agreement as Jodie leaned back. "Good," she said. "I'll see what I can do."

Jacob chuckled, lifting his drink and taking a swig. "It seems we've got our work cut out for us."

"Lie low, figure out where the Cerberus base is, and kick Collector ass while we're at it?" asked Jodie.

"You got it." Jacob then tilting it towards Jodie. "To figuring out how to deal with this galaxy."

Jodie shrugged, before lifting her own drink. "To that," she said, clinking her drink against his.

They both took of their drinks. As Jodie set hers down, she frowned, looking over at a group of white-armored men at a table across the club from them. The white armor looked familiar, and as she examined it, her gaze narrowed. It was something about the shape of their helmets that Jodie found familiar, and how the black visor seemed to extend across the whole of the helmet...

Jacob followed her gaze, before leaning forward. "Oh, yeah, those guys have started to appear around Omega," said Jacob. "From what I understand, they're some kind of new group that isn't like the others."

Jodie nodded. "I can tell," she said, her eyes gazing over the familiar white armor. "They stick out like sore thumbs, and I'll tell you one thing: that design looks pretty familiar."

"That's what I've heard," said Jacob. He leaned forward, noting the way Jodie's eyes flitted about between them. "You realize worrying about them is not in our mission parameters, right?"

And with this, she sighed, setting her drink down. "I do, but at the same time..." said Jodie. "I can't help but think they'll complicate things along the way."

Jacob shook his head. "Well, we won't be on this rock enough to do anything about it," he said. "We've got enough to worry about right now. If they're worried, they'll have someone here to take care of it."

Jodie nodded, before lifting her drink again and taking a long swig from it. "I hope you're right, Jacob," she said. "I hope to God you're right..."

* * *

Jodie stepped into the captain's quarters. She spared a glance around the room, seeing how nice everything was done up. Down a couple of steps, she saw a king-sized bed waiting, the pillows looking soft even from that distance. Not too far away was a desk, and she also saw a private shower out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes also turned to a fish tank by the bed, seeing all the multi-colored fish she did not recognize swimming about within the tank. The whole room was bathed in a soft light, one that Jodie found soothing.

It still did nothing to calm her raging heartbeat, however.

As she turned, she noticed Tali sitting on the bed. Shepard stood apart, his arms crossed as Jodie stepped forward.

"There you are," said Shepard. "Took you long enough."

"I was in Afterlife with Jacob," said Jodie. "The crowds are very tough to get out of there."

"I've noticed," said Shepard. He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "You know why you're here."

Jodie nodded, turning to Tali. "Tali said you had something you wanted to tell me." _And I have the feeling I already know what it is..._

Tali stood up, walking to Shepard. "I told him he had to tell you," she said. "You don't deserve to be left out of the loop any longer."

Aiden gurgled reassuringly to Jodie. As she did this, Jodie breathed in, clenching her toes as she stepped forward. "Left out of the loop of what?" she asked.

"Well..." Shepard rubbed the back of his head. "It's a long story, but there's a lot about me that nobody in this galaxy knows. And... well, Tali thought you should know because of your relation with me."

Jodie nodded, crossing her arms. "Is this something that'd change my opinion of you?" she asked. "Because if it is, I don't appreciate being lied to."

"Well, it's not a lie if it's information that isn't mentioned at all, is it?" asked Shepard.

"I'll be the judge of that," said Jodie. She then gestured to Shepard. "So what is this thing?"

"Well..." Shepard sighed. "I say this galaxy, because... well, technically, I'm not from this galaxy." He paused, and Jodie could tell in the way that his shoulders froze up that the admission made him nervous. "Technically, you can't even say I'm a human."

Jodie frowned, leaning forward. "You're what now?" she asked.

"Shepard is not from this galaxy," said Tali. "He's what is called an artician."

Jodie's frown deepened, and she looked between Tali and Shepard skeptically. "What?" she asked. "Artician? You mean that thing Vigil talked about?" She chuckled, lifting a hand and placing it against the wall before pushing off, walking over to the fish tank. "That's ridiculous! You can't be one of them, right?"

Shepard shook his head, turning to Tali. "I _knew_ she wouldn't believe me." He then turned back to Jodie, stepping forward. "Jodie, I'm going to show you someone you wouldn't know. There's nothing like him in this galaxy. But back home, he's possible." He then opened his omni-tool, stepping up to Jodie as she frowned. "Vit'ro, say hi to Jodie Holmes!"

As soon as Shepard extended his hand, Jodie saw a hologram come out of his omni-tool. It was humanoid, and she reeled back in shock as she beheld the hologram before her. It looked shockingly similar to Wilson, and she could only balk in shock.

The hologram scoffed, shrugging as he began to pace. " _Typical_ ," the hologram said. " _You show me to one other person, and suddenly everyone's gone mad!_ "

Jodie blinked in shock, leaning forward. _Holy shit... They got the resemblance down pat..._ Aiden could only gurgle in agreement, before Jodie looked back at Shepard. "What the hell is that?" She then frowned, looking down at the omni-tool. "That's not a recording, is it?"

" _Yes, because all of my responses are pre-recorded with exact knowledge of how you'd react to something that is just being brought on by Jon'ison Shardan's girlfriend,_ " said the Wilson hologram. " _Of_ course _I'm not a recording, idiot!_ "

"Vit'ro, please," Tali said. She looked up at Jodie, stepping towards her and gesturing at the hologram. "I'm sure it's just the shock of seeing that for the first time."

Jodie frowned, looking over at the quarian. "Wait, hold on..." She then looked to the hologram. "You're an AI who lives with on Shepard's computer?"

" _Yep,_ " said the hologram. " _Though I will say, it's not by choice. Miranda shot me in the_ face _on that facility where we resurrected Shepard. Let me tell you,_ that _made it awkward for Shepard to get me out of there._ "

"I had to cover it by saying he might have valuable intel," said Shepard. "Really, it's just theater. I have to keep him secret _somehow_."

" _You're lucky we've got clean-up crews over there,_ " the hologram commented. He then turned to Jodie. " _Sorry, I'm Vit'ro, exion for Prince Jon'ison Shardan._ "

"Exion...?" Jodie frowned, looking up. "Artician... Shepard, what the hell is going on?"

"It's a very long story, Jodie," said Shepard as he sat at a chair at the desk. "Here, let me tell you the whole story..."

And so, Shepard and Vit'ro both related the story of Shepard's true origins. Jodie had to fight with every fiber in her being to appear surprised at every turn: she already knew a lot of what Shepard had told her, but knowing that they would catch on if she showed even a hint of artifice she did what she could to keep track of the story. When the number of casualties of the Great Purge was mentioned, she could only respond with a dropped jaw and wide eyes, hoping that recalling the shock she felt when the true Wilson told her what happened would be enough. Some parts, however, were new to her: it finally provided some answers to how Shepard had gotten into the Alliance, and as she heard it, she made a note to relay that to Jacob or someone else.

And then, Shepard sighed. "If only I weren't the last of my family..."

"Really?" asked Jodie.

"Yeah," said Shepard. "I was the eldest of my four siblings. And there was my father, Mi'khael the Wise." He sighed, tapping his knee. "It was all tough."

" _He didn't do too badly, though,_ " said Vit'ro. " _I mean, when you're five years old and suddenly you have an entire galaxy thrust on you._ "

Jodie jolted in place, Aiden trilling loudly. "Five?" she asked. "You were _five_ when this all unfolded?"

"Yes," said Shepard. He clenched his fist briefly, looking over to a datapad on the nearby desk. He then shook his head. "But that's not important. Right now, I'm going to go after Cerberus. I'm playing along for now, but as soon as I know where the Collectors are, I have plans."

Jodie frowned. "Plans for what?" she asked.

"You'll see..." Shepard grinned, shaking his head. "For now... you now know the truth."

Jodie shook her head. "I don't know, Shepard..." She then felt her real feelings bubble up within her, and she stood up. "You really hid all this from me back on the original Normandy?"

"I didn't have a choice," said Shepard. "If even one other person knew, it would've blown our cover."

"And that's why you told Tali, isn't it?" asked Jodie as she glared at the quarian. And then she frowned. "And what the fuck excuses your not saying anything to me after Vigil?"

Shepard blinked, looking over to Tali in surprise. "Vigil was... a complicated affair," said Tali.

"That still doesn't excuse anything," said Jodie as she turned to Shepard, allowing her anger to shine through. "Why didn't you tell me or any of the crew _anything_ about these articians after Vigil?"

"Would you have believed me?" asked Shepard.

"If you had proved it, probably," said Jodie. She crossed her arms, turning away to look at the display case that acted as a wall between the bedroom and the Commander's shower. "I just... seriously? You were keeping this big secret about yourself that could've changed everything about you, and you couldn't tell us?"

"I didn't know if you were trustworthy," said Shepard.

Jodie scoffed. "I don't believe that, not considering everything we did together..." she scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "You didn't think after all the battles we'd fought in together, after the fact I joined your crew with very few strings attached, after how we killed Saren together... You _really_ didn't think the trust was there?"

Shepard shrugged. "Hey, the way we yelled at each other when we both killed Saren left a little room for doubt," said Shepard. "With the way we were at each other's throats there..."

Aiden grumbled. _Yeah, exactly_ , Jodie thought as she turned back to Shepard. "That's an excuse," she said. She then turned away, ascending the stairs. "Look, I don't know what you wanted me to say, but given that you _lied_ to all of us about who you were? I'm really angry about that. How could you hide things like that from me? From all of us?" She shook her head, walking back to the elevator. "You could've told us. We would've listened. And instead, you hid that. What else am I supposed to think?"

"Jodie..." Shepard said.

But Jodie paid him no mind, hitting the call button. To her delight, the door opened immediately, and Jodie immediately stepped in. "That maybe trust goes both ways, and that you could've taken a leap of faith on me." She shook her head. "I'll talk to you later, Shepard. And that's if I'm even in the mood to do so."

Jodie tapped the button to go down to the crew deck, and the door closed immediately, leaving everyone in Shepard's quarters dumbfounded. As soon as the doors closed, Jodie leaned back. Oddly, though, she felt some of the anger she had exaggerated remain. As she realized this, she frowned, her back gently rubbing against the wall of the elevator.

Aiden chirped uncertainly. As he did this, Jodie nodded, tapping her foot against the hard metal floor. _I guess I did air out some frustration about that there,_ Jodie thought. _I'm not gonna lie: that felt pretty good._ She then chuckled, shaking her head as she pushed off of the wall. _Do you think it'd be too sadistic of me to say I might actually enjoy it if I ever get to tell Shepard just how much I knew about what he was hiding from me?_

In response, Aiden gurgled. Upon hearing the indifferent tone of his answer, Jodie shrugged. _I guess you bring up a good point,_ she thought. _Still... He finally trusted me enough to tell me things. Perhaps if I could get him to trust me a little more, I might be able to get more intel..._

Aiden trilled a quiet warning, to which Jodie nodded. _Yeah, you know me, Aiden,_ she thought. _I'm usually careful._

With this, the doors opened. She stepped out of the elevator, making her way to her own quarters. As she walked, she shrugged, shaking her head.

 _Well, I guess now we wait to come out,_ she thought. _I wouldn't want to be seen looking decently happy so soon after a rage outburst like that..._

* * *

Jodie sifted her fork through her food. It was a rather unappetizing plate of spaghetti and meatballs: the instant she had tried the meatballs, Jodie had noted how they tasted like cardboard. It was not inedible, but eating it was still something of a chore as she chewed on each bite slowly.

Aiden could only click in amusement at Jodie's minor predicament. It took everything in Jodie to keep from rolling her eyes at Aiden's jabs, although she did stab her fork into a meatball with a little more force than necessary.

 _Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Aiden_ , she thought. _That's very funny, yes._

Aiden responded with a quick gurgle. He then went quiet, though, and as soon as Jodie noticed this, she looked up to see Miranda approach her.

"Oh, Miranda," said Jodie.

"Jodie Holmes," said Miranda.

Jodie frowned, setting her fork down. "Are you always this formal with everyone?" she asked.

"I have to be," said Miranda. "We're here on a job."

"Maybe, but at the same time we do have to live with each other," Jodie replied. "So if we do that, what's the point of being so formal with everyone?" She shrugged. "Here, sit."

Miranda paused as Jodie gestured to the seat closest to her. After a second, she sighed, before settling in where Jodie had indicated. "We cannot let ourselves be distracted outside of the mission."

"Hey, if we thought about the Collectors all the time, I don't think we'd still be sane," said Jodie. "I spent a lot of time concentrating on one thing once, and..." She paused. "It did not end well."

Miranda shook her head, but nevertheless she sat down. "If only we knew what that was," she said.

Jodie nodded. "That sounds familiar," she said. "People on the Normandy had a difficult time pinning me down, too."

"Really?" asked Miranda. "I find that hard to believe with how Shepard talks about you."

"So I've heard," said Jodie. "But the fact is, it did unsettle some people on the original Normandy that they couldn't figure out where I'd been prior to when Shepard found me on the Citadel. And then, I pulled my weight in the end, and now..." She shrugged. "Well, here I am."

Miranda nodded. "I see," she said. "But that doesn't mean I trust you yet."

"You don't have to," said Jodie. "I'm still trying to figure out if I should trust you, yet."

"It's the Cerberus issue," said Miranda.

Jodie shook her head in reply. "Not quite," said Jodie. "It's other things, but that does play into it a little." Jodie then paused, twirling her fork in some spaghetti. It was then that she realized that there was a perfect symmetry to her facial features that was almost off-putting. Aiden gurgled, noticing it as well as Jodie studied her. "You seem... perfect."

"I was made that way," said Miranda, her tone less acerbic than usual.

Jodie frowned, leaning forward. "You sound almost proud of that," she said.

"Not quite," said Miranda. "It wasn't like I had any choice."

Jodie chuckled grimly, glancing to the side. "Story of my life, too, actually," she said. "Full of people finding me, taking advantage of what I had... and I was just forced to roll with it. Eventually, I escaped, but it always finds ways to pull me back in."

Miranda blinked, Jodie registering that the surprise on her face was rather foreign even to Miranda. "For your skills," she said. "It's a good thing the commander found you, then."

Jodie nodded, tapping her fingers against the table. "I guess you could say that," she said. "I'm doing the good work now."

"Some would say it's not," said Miranda. "Working with Cerberus, that is. But I think we have done plenty of work to advance the cause of humanity." She then paused, shifting as she glanced to the side. "It's preferable to what I would have been doing had I not joined them."

Jodie glanced to the side, Aiden chuckling for her. As she looked on, however, she took a glance at Miranda's face. And in her expression, Jodie saw a sincerity that she had rarely seen in anyone else on the ship. But more than that, there was a particular way her eyes shone that Jodie recognized. As soon as she noticed this, she leaned closer, examining Miranda.

Finally, she placed a hand on the table. "You ran from something yourself, didn't you?" Jodie asked.

Aiden gave a confused trill, but before Jodie could reply, Miranda looked to the floor. "You could say that," she said.

As Jodie nodded, Aiden gurgled uncertainly. "You don't have to explain it now, if you don't want to," she said. "I'd be a hypocrite if I forced you to. But... I get the feeling you and I aren't so different."

Miranda frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

"Honestly, I don't know if I do either," Jodie admitted. "Call it a hunch, but..."

Miranda sighed, shaking her head. "I don't really think anyone could understand, never mind say we're similar." She then sighed, crossing her arms. "Still, it has to be better than what Shepard says to me."

Jodie raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess: he doesn't care," she said.

"No," said Miranda. "Any conversation with him that isn't business related is short."

"I apologize on his behalf," said Jodie. "I think it's really messed up he doesn't treat you with any respect. Whatever he thinks of Cerberus, I think it's clear you don't deserve that."

Miranda nodded. "Thank you," he said. "But I can manage. I have had to manage far worse by myself."

Jodie nodded back, before picking her fork back up. "I hope so..." She then shrugged, looking down at the meatball at the end of her fork. "This is a bit bland."

"Gardner's been asking for better ingredients since the Commander took charge of the mission," said Miranda. "I've vetoed it, though: we don't have time to worry about something so minor on a mission as important as ours."

Jodie nodded. "I guess I can understand that," she said. She shrugged. "And look at it this way; it beats a diet of nothing but energy bars."

And for the first time, Jodie saw Miranda crack a smile. "Was that all they had on the first Normandy?" she asked.

"It was all I ever ate there, at any rate," said Jodie. "It was that, or deal with crappy-tasting ration packs..."


	6. Chapter Six

Jodie laid back on the couch, looking upwards. Aiden gurgled softly, and Jodie had the feeling that he was riding the mass relay jump they were presently experiencing. She wondered for a second about what it must have been like, to ride along the ship as it sailed at faster than light speeds. Jodie could quite tell that Aiden enjoyed it, given how his gurgle would occasionally explode into a series of happy clicks.

Jodie sighed, tapping her fingers together. She thought about how it would be fun to ride a ship in such away. But, she knew that faster-than-light travel had its downsides if you were not in a place of consistent pressure. The thought cooled down her mood slightly, more than it had already cooled.

She closed her eyes: sleep had not come easy to her the night before. There had been too many thoughts floating around in her mind, such that she had been kept up for quite a while. Even then, she found it difficult to get sleep: her eyelids were not nearly heavy enough, and the exhaustion had not quite set in yet. Again, the flurry of thoughts filled her as she let her hand rest idly on her stomach. The thoughts, all about Shepard and the mission, were never quite willing to go away.

 _Shepard hasn't talked to me in a bit..._ she thought. _What could that mean...?_

She sighed, closing her eyes. She caught Aiden's trill shortly, before she felt herself begin to drift off...

And then, she was prevented from fully falling asleep by the hiss of the door opening, and the subsequent heavy footsteps that drew closer and closer to her. Jodie groaned in annoyance, shifting her weight on the couch as she groggily sat up, turning to the door.

"What...?"

"Jodie!" Jodie blinked, seeing Shepard standing in front of her. His expression was almost relieved, and as he put his hand on the back of the sofa, Jodie could tell that he was sighing in relief. "I was hoping to find you here."

" _Commander, it is as I told you,_ " EDI stated, her globe appearing immediately. " _She has not left the room since her conversation with Miranda earlier_."

Shepard frowned, leaning forward. "Talking to the cheerlearder?" he asked.

"I can talk to whoever I want," said Jodie. "Why's that a problem?"

"I don't trust her," said Shepard. "And you know why."

EDI's globe moved a little. " _We are well aware, Commander,_ " she said.

"That wasn't to you," Shepard fired back at EDI. "Now shut up and let me talk to her."

" _As you wish, Commander._ " With this, EDI blinked out, the only blue illumination now coming from the relay jump outside.

Shepard watched EDI vanish. As soon as she was gone, he shook his head, draping his arm over the back of the sofa. "Cheeky little bitch..." He shook his head, before turning to Jodie and shaking his head. "Look... I'm sorry I didn't tell you that about me before."

"You better be," said Jodie. She turned away, a frown remaining on her face as she looked out. "I mean... knowing that about you, how am I supposed to trust you now?"

"You'll have to take that leap of faith," said Shepard. "Look, there are some things I didn't tell you, but that doesn't change the fact that I am me, does it? I'm still the same man you knew all those years ago."

 _I know,_ Jodie thought, resisting the urge to curl her lip in disgust. "Maybe, but what else are you hiding?"

"I promise you, nothing as big as that," said Shepard. He sighed. "Jodie, I need you. You're a trusted companion, but there were things that held me back. Just, please understand that. I had to, for reasons you'll see soon enough."

Jodie sighed. "It's not that simple, Shepard," she said. "You lied to everyone else on the original Normandy."

"Look, if it makes you feel better, I'll tell _everyone_ on the original Normandy the truth when I see them again," said Shepard. "I don't know if I will ever be able to meet with them again until we've done what we can, but I promise you that much."

Jodie looked up. "And you expect them to react differently from how I did?" she asked.

"No," said Shepard. "But I need my friends, and... well, maybe if they know about me, they might be able to come back around."

Aiden let out an abrasive scoff. _And nothing about how it's good for them to know,_ she thought. "Don't count on that," said Jodie. "You can't conscript them all like you did with me. They've got other plans, Shepard, and your inability to be honest with them _will_ mean they could turn on you."

"But they have to trust that I'm doing the right thing, right?" Shepard asked.

Jodie smirked, turning back to Shepard. "Did you trust us?" she asked. "Trust goes both ways, Shepard." She shook her head, turning away. "As for me... well, I got conscripted here, so I don't really have any other choice but to follow along. I'll do my job, but you'll have to understand, you'll need to work to repair my trust in you."

Shepard nodded, letting out a soft sigh. "I guess I'll have to make do with that," he said. He then nodded, patting Jodie gently on the shoulder. "Thanks. It means a lot to me."

"Don't blow it," said Jodie. She then shrugged. "So... now that you're done piquing EDI's curiosity, is there any other thing you wanted?"

Shepard glanced at EDI's terminal, frowning as the AI's blue dome appeared again. "I wouldn't worry about EDI," said Shepard. "Anyway, we're going on a new mission. I'm bringing you along, and you're going to have to get into your armor, quick"

Jodie frowned, looking back up at Shepard. "Another mission?" she asked, her weight settling into the couch as she sat back up. "Where to?"

* * *

"They call the colony Horizon."

Miranda stood in front of a holographic projection of a planet. Jodie leaned forward, seeing the red dot that indicated the location of their next mission. Shepard leaned over it, crossing his arms as he looked at it carefully. In the corner, of the table, Thane prepared his sniper rifle, and next to him Tali ran a few inspections on her assault rifle as well. The rest of the ground team was peppered around the room, Jack leaning against the wall with a disgruntled look on her face. Okeer stood by Miranda, the old krogan watching as Grunt settled in, watching everything intently.

"And we're getting called in last minute, right?" asked Shepard.

"Yes," said Miranda. "It went dark barely three quarters of an hour ago. It's a similar pattern to what was seen on Freedom's Progress."

"So the Collectors could be behind this," said Jacob.

"All signs point to them," Miranda replied. She then looked over to Okeer. "Of course, we don't know what we'll find down there, but it's not too long after they've left, so we can assume they're still there."

"Oh, nice!" said Jack. "We get to kick some fucking teeth in!"

"That we do, Jack," said Shepard. He then turned to Okeer, crossing his arms. "You've worked on the countermeasure, right?"

"Yes," said Okeer. "I don't have a vaccine against their toxin, that's too far above my paygrade. But I _did_ figure out that they work by detecting heat signatures, so I settled for the next best thing."

"And what's that?" asked Shepard.

Okeer grinned. "Making you invisible." He then turned to Jacob. "You should have everything I gave you about that, right?"

"Yes, and I believe I already attached Shepard's to his equipment," said Jacob. "I'd have attached more, but I need to know who's going on."

Shepard shrugged, glancing at Thane, Jodie, and Tali. "Who's got the weapons in this room?" he asked.

Jacob nodded, grinning as he opened his omni-tool. "I'll attach it to them right away."

"Oh, and attach it to Grunt, too."

At this, Okeer could only balk. The large krogan gripped the table hard enough to dent the edge, his eyes widening in surprise. "You're _what_?" he asked.

"I'm taking him down with me," said Shepard. "He's the perfect krogan, isn't he?"

"That's beside the point!" said Okeer, slamming his fist down on the table. He then pointed at Shepard, his hand poking through the hologram. "This is my perfect krogan, and I will _not_ have him get carted off by the Collectors before he can-"

"You don't sound like you have very much faith in him."

Okeer blinked, looking right at Jodie. Grunt turned to Jodie in surprise, and then Jodie grinned at the younger krogan as she shifted her posture, her hands pressed against the edge of the table.

Okeer growled, the sound causing Jacob to tense slightly. "You dare question my wanting to keep my creation safe?" asked Okeer.

"He's supposed to be the perfect krogan, isn't he?" Jodie asked. She then glanced at Grunt, the younger krogan looking at her with his eyebrow ridges furrowed.

"Well yes," said Okeer, "but I don't-"

"And you gave him knowledge of combat in the tank, right?" asked Jodie, noticing the way Shepard sidled closer to her.

"Of course," said Okeer, crossing his arms. "I don't get what you're-"

"And it should stand to reason you're planning on having him fight _eventually_ , right?" asked Jodie, as she stood up and tapped her fingers against her elbows.

"Well, of course, but-"

"Then why the opposition?" All eyes turned to Shepard as he leaned threateningly towards Okeer. "You seem awfully uptight about letting him go groundside, for someone who would have every reason to let him do that."

"But that's Grunt's decision!" said Okeer as he poked his finger into Shepard's chest across the table. "That's not your decision."

"Yes it is," said Shepard as he crossed his arms. "I'm ordering Grunt to come, and you're going to obey my orders!"

Aiden clicked in disapproval, and Jodie briefly caught the way Miranda rolled her eyes and shifted her weight to her other foot. Before Jodie could comment on either, however, Grunt stepped forward, placing his fist on the table. He looked straight at Okeer, the young krogan having a fire in his eyes.

"You just tell me to take tests all day," said Grunt. "There's little so great about that. I want to go out there, take part in a fight. And you don't want me to go?"

And at this, Shepard smirked. For once, Jodie could not help but feel a willingness to go along with the smirk as she shifted her weight. "Sounds like he wants to come," said Shepard.

Okeer grumbled. He then violently pushed off the table, turning his back to Shepard as he crossed his arms and took a step away. "Fine, take him, then," he said. "But if anything happens to him down there, you're dead."

Shepard's smirk only intensified, before he turned to Grunt. "We have an extra shotgun and assault rifle in the armory for you," said the commander. He then tilted his head to Jacob. "He can help you with that."

Grunt grinned, lifting his hand and punching his open palm. "I can't wait," he said. "Finally, a fight worthy of me!"

Shepard nodded. "Anyway, we're going in blind, so I don't know what we're going to find down there," he said. He looked to the others, crossing his arms as he appraised them all. "We'll have to be quick, too: who knows how much of the colony is being abducted at this point?"

"Yes," said Thane, bowing his head. "But we can act swiftly."

"We can." Shepard then nodded to everyone. "All the people who aren't on the ground team are dismissed. Those of you that are, we're going to kick some Collective ass!"

Thane, Okeer, and Grunt were the only ones in the room who did not groan at the pun. Jack in particular laid her head against the glass on the table, her face reflecting somewhat in the glass.

"That was fucking awful, Shepard," said Jack. "When's the next pun like that?"

* * *

The shuttle landed unceremoniously, rocking slightly before the light sound of the shuttle hitting the ground rocked the shuttle gently. Jodie pulled on the collar of her armor, looking to Tali as she checked her assault rifle again. Thane stood up, unclasping his hands from whatever silent prayer he had offered up to Arashu.

 _It is Arashu that's the god of hunters, right?_ Jodie asked Aiden.

Aiden gave a disapproving trill. And then, he clicked at her. _Oh, right, that's Amonkira. She's the goddess of protection. Never mind!_

As Aiden trilled low, Shepard stood up, his boots clanking against the metal. "Well, here we are," he said. "Finally we'll get to see what these things look like."

"Good!" Grunt stood up, the large krogan pumping his shotgun. "It was taking too long to get here."

" _Someone's_ eager," Tali noted, feeling behind her for her own shotgun as she stood up and stood at the door.

"It'll be my first fight!" said Grunt. "I can't wait any longer!"

"Well, just be sure not to shoot the first thing that moves," said Shepard as he took his place right at the shuttle door. "Unless it's a Collector. In which case, go ahead."

Thane turned to Jodie, shifting off to the side slightly as his eyelids nictated. "I have a rather terrible feeling about this," said the assassin.

Jodie shook her head, looking back to Shepard as the shuttle door opened. "It'll be fine," said Jodie. "Hopefully we haven't shown up too late."

Thane only bowed his head. As soon as he did, Jodie saw Shepard leap out of the shuttle, his feet landing on a grassy area. Tali and Grunt followed first, and then Jodie and Thane brought out the rear. And as Jodie looked up and saw the world around them, she was shocked by how much like Earth it looked like: verdant green fields and hills all around, the brown dirt beneath her... She caught sight of the white prefab buildings all around.

It was then that she noticed the brown clouds furiously fluttering about, and the angry buzz that pervaded the air. She looked around as the hiss of the shuttle door made her jolt temporarily, but there it was: swarms of larger brown insects were hovering all over above them. Jodie swallowed, leaning on one foot and rotating her foot as she looked up at the swarms warily.

"There they are," said Jodie.

"And they don't seem to notice we're here," said Tali. "Yet."

"That's hopefully a good sign." Shepard then took several steps forward, the angry buzzing growing more prominent.

Jodie followed suit, grabbing her assault rifle and holding it at the ready. She then followed, the rest of the ground team following in short order. They looked at the swarms all around them, watching for any signs of motion towards them as they moved forward. As time went on, however, they noticed the swarms making no moves towards them. Shepard watched the swarms intently as they worked their way around a hill.

And after a few minutes, a large swarm flew right over them. It passed them, and the group moved on.

"Well, looks like Okeer's countermeasure worked," said Shepard. He grinned, looking at Grunt. "Your master's not bad, after all."

"Hmph." Grunt looked away. "I still don't see anything to kill."

As if on cue, Jodie heard a particularly loud buzzing from close by. When she looked off to the side, Jodie saw a group of large insectoids fly in. They were unlike anything she had ever seen before: large brown shells, eyes that glowed a furious yellow, even the fact that she could tell their eyes glowed from that distance was remarkable. And when the first of these guys landed, they turned, lifting organic-looking rifles at them.

"Oh," said Grunt. "There they are!"

Before he could do much more, however, the Collectors in front of them opened fire. Jodie yelped, leaping for cover behind a nearby crate. Thane followed suit, the drell pressing his back against it as a barrage of rounds flew around the crate. Jodie grabbed her assault rifle, watching as Tali moved closer, Shepard also taking cover behind a different crate.

"I am krogan!" The loud report of a shotgun distracted Jodie, and when she looked up, she saw Grunt just bumrushing one of the Collectors. As she watched, Jodie saw the krogan press his shotgun up against one of the Collectors, holding it with only one arm. As he fired, the recoil sent Grunt's arm jolting a little ways away, although the Collector who was shot did fly away with a hole in its heart.

Jodie frowned, before coming up from cover. She saw a Collector to the left of Grunt's location, and swivelling towards it she raised her rifle and opened fire. The Collector stumbled back as soon as its shields went down: however, it was a shot from Thane that took it down, if the loud sniper rifle shot immediately to Jodie's right was any indication.

She turned to the drell, who nodded at her before he gestured forward at her. With this, Jodie vaulted over cover, able to see Grunt rushing over to another Collector. He shot this Collector in the face with his shotgun, and before long Jodie saw another set of Collectors fly in. She raised her assault rifle, taking aim and firing at the Collector in front of the pack. It had managed to land, but soon afterwards it was met with a push of green biotic energy.

Jodie looked past, watching as Shepard stepped in with his pistol in hand. He calmly lined up shots, shooting at the Collectors with calculated abandon as he approached them. Behind him, Jodie saw Tali rush forward, the quarian lifting her shotgun and shooting a Collector that got too close to Shepard. As Jodie watched, she saw Grunt rush by, the large krogan bodily slamming a Collector against a wall: the Collector let out a loud series of clicks, but was soon silenced by a shotgun blast directly to the face.

As soon as Jodie turned, she saw another trio of Collectors fly in: she raised her assault rifle, successfully managing to shoot one of them down. However, the leader of the group landed, and it was then that Jodie noticed that the weapon he carried was significantly larger than the other. She stopped, looking at the weapon in question.

Jodie instinctively ducked back behind another crate: it was not a second too soon, for she watched as a yellow beam shot past her. When the beam connected with a crate a ways behind her, Jodie saw the beam burn into the crate, leaving an angry black mark behind once it dissipated. Jodie looked at that mark, then back to Thane, who quickly appeared from behind the crate and aimed a sniper rifle at other Collectors.

"Shit..." she whispered under her breath. She then looked over to Grunt, but noticed that the krogan was otherwise occupied with other collectors off to the side. When she looked back to the Collector with the strange gun, however, she noticed that the Collector was taking aim for him.

She whirled out of cover, firing her assault rifle at the Collector with the strange gun. It was enough to distract the Collector's attention away from Grunt, and after a second, that Collector went down, reeling back from a single sniper rifle round to the head. Jodie nodded, looking at the strange gun and pausing as she thought about it.

 _Seems like a really powerful weapon, doesn't it?_ asked Jodie.

But instead of gurgling in agreement, Aiden trilled in alarm. Jodie frowned, before looking back to the corpse, expecting that-

" ** _Assuming direct control._** "

And then, the Collector rose again, his carapace shining an unnatural yellow. Aiden trilled out loudly, the entity's alarmed trill piercing the air as Jodie beheld this sight.

 _What the..._? she thought.

And then, the Collector looked out, his new weapon raised. He then took aim at Jodie, but before she could duck back behind cover the Collector fired. Aiden instinctively threw up his shield, but after a second the entity gave out, the beam cutting straight through the metal of the pre-fab unit she hid behind as Jodie rolled out of the way, feeling a lingering pain all over her body.

 _Fuck..._ Jodie thought. _What the hell...?_

Jodie then rolled to another piece of cover, looking up as she saw Grunt approach. As usual, the krogan rushed forward, cackling madly as he approached the rejuvenated Collector. Without pause, the tank-bred krogan stopped in front of the Collector, bringing his shotgun to bear on him immediately.

However, when Grunt pulled the trigger, the Collector only threw its head back, before snapping it back in place. Jodie's expression fell, and she could see Grunt's expression do the same as the Collector turned on him. The Collector immediately turned the beam weapon on Grunt, but the krogan reacted quickly: right as the Collector pulled the trigger, Grunt had managed to grab the weapon, using all of his might to turn it away.

The krogan fired the shotgun again, this time aiming lower than the head: this caused the Collector to stumble back, but it pulled itself back to its feet in time to grab the strange weapon and smack Grunt in the face with it. The smack sent Grunt flying a little further back than Jodie expected, and she watched transfixed as Grunt flew at least two feet in the air, his back hitting a crate and knocking it over.

And then, Jodie heard the electronic rush of a blade being unfurled. As Jodie watched, then, the Collector turned, its eyes fixing on Shepard as the Commander rushed forward, his infamous light blade drawn. And with a single bound, Shepard was on the Collector, his blade clashing against the Collector's weapon.

The enhanced Collector stumbled back, just barely able to dodge another slash from Shepard. The commander then rushed forward, bringing his blade horizontally forward. The enhanced Collector was able to block Shepard's sword arm, however, and with this he reached forward and smacked Shepard across the head with his weapon. Shepard stumbled back, but did not look too phased as he only took a couple of steps back.

It was then that Shepard growled, before he slashed vertically again. This time, the blow caught on the Collector's weapon, and Jodie saw the Collector swat it away. The Collector rushed forward, but Shepard was prepared: he used the Collector's arm as a grip, twisting past whatever blow the Collector had attempted. As soon as he did this, Shepard turned, growling as he extended his blade out.

The Collector turned to aim his weapon right at Shepard. But before he could fire, Shepard rushed forward, slashing the sword at the Collector. The Collector stumbled back, Jodie clearly able to see a huge gash in his chest. Shepard did not let up, however, and as soon as the slash was over, he reached forward. As Jodie saw some of the green energy bunch up around the back of the Collector's neck, Shepard brought his sword forward, stabbing the Collector in the gut.

And then, with a brighter flash, Jodie watched as the Collector's body disintegrated into ash, the particles floating away in the breeze.

And then, all was quiet on the colony. Jodie stood up, coming out of cover as she looked around.

"That's all of them?" she asked.

"Yes." Thane stepped out of the shadows, holstering his sniper rifle. "What a foe."

"No kidding." Jodie turned, looking up at Grunt as he approached them, rubbing the side of his armor. "What _was_ that thing? It just... stood up."

"Yeah, what happened with that?" asked Jodie. "It just said that... assuming control, and then..."

"I do not think we can afford to worry about it," said Thane.

"He's right," said Tali. All eyes turned to the quarian as she stepped over to the group. "We still have to sweep the remainder of the colony."

"And that's not going to do it itself." Everyone turned to Shepard, watching as the commander placed his blade away. The blade vanished, before he nodded to his crew. "Come on. We've got a colony to save."

With this, Shepard turned. The remainder of the ground team looked at each other, all of them turning back to Shepard to watch him walk on.

After a second, Grunt rotated his shoulders. "Well, I don't know about you whelps, but I can't wait for another fight," he said. He then chuckled. "Come on. Let's kick some more ass!"

With this, Grunt followed Shepard. Jodie chuckled nervously, before gesturing to Thane and Tali. "Well, I guess that's our cue to move on," she said. "Come on, let's go."

Jodie followed Grunt. Tali and Thane spared a glance at each other, before they too followed behind Jodie.

* * *

"What the hell are husks even doing in this colony? I thought that was geth technology!"

"Apparently not. And there are no dragon's teeth here, either, so that means they brought it with them."

"So the husks are Reaper technology? I don't like this, Shepard."

"Yeah, and most of the rest of us don't either. So let's just keep going, and stop more colonists from getting abducted."

Tali nodded, looking up at Shepard as the Commander walked off again. Jodie looked down at the husk, the blue lights shining from its body still. She frowned, looking at the dead eyes with a sense of dread. Jodie thought back to all the times she had fought against these things when they were dealing with Saren, and how unnerved she felt seeing them to this day.

 _I can't believe I_ still _have to deal with them,_ she thought. _That's just..._

Aiden gurgled softly, before Jodie stood up. She trailed just behind Thane as the group walked over to a garage. Jodie faintly noticed Shepard pick up a gun similar to the one that the enhanced Collector had used earlier, before looking at all the other Collector corpses strewn throughout the colony. Luckily, the group had not encountered any more enhanced Collectors like the one Shepard had to fight earlier, but the fear was always still there. After all, Jodie knew that the Collector who had been taken over had been killed before the enhancement: who was to say the other Collectors could not be treated in kind?

The group then walked over to a garage, Jodie noticing Tali standing in front of it with an open omni-tool. She scanned something outside the door, seemingly hacking away as Jodie walked up. Grunt rotated his shoulders, looking a little restless as Thane simply watched Tali hack the door open. Shepard only let out a sigh, tapping his foot impatiently against the ground.

After a second, the doors opened. Shepard stepped through, everyone else following slowly.

And then, Jodie thought she heard the sound of a wrench being dropped somewhere. The sound could not have been more than twenty feet away from them, and as she glanced around the building they were in, she realized faintly they were in a garage.

Shepard grabbed his pistol, raising it slowly. "Company." He then aimed it to a wall, Jodie noting that the sound had originated from somewhere past that wall. "Get out here! Now!"

Jodie watched as a man in a cap peeked past the corner first. He breathed in, looking intently at Shepard first, but that one glance was enough to tell everyone else that the man was human.

Thus, Shepard lowered his pistol. The man stepped out from behind the wall, letting out a sigh of relief as his arms drooped to the side.

"You're... You're human," said the man before them. "What are you doing here? You'll lead them right here!"

"Yeah, and you can ask the trail of dead Collectors I left how well trying to face off against me went for them," said Shepard.

"Those things are Collectors?" asked the colonist, turning and pacing around the room. "They're real?"

"Well, we just killed a bunch of them, so they're pretty real," said Shepard.

The colonist turned, exhaling. "I thought they were just legends," he said. "Bedtime stories other species tell their kids, something to keep us..." He turned back to Shepard, walking back to the Commander. "They've got colonists now. They've got Lillith, they've got Sten, they've got Jenny and Gregor and Jules and..." He shook his head, his eyes widening as he shook his head at them. "They've got damn near everybody now!"

"Hey." Jodie stepped forward, looking up at the colonist as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Jodie watched him flinch, but he did not pull away. "Take a deep breath. We're here to stop the Collectors, okay? I don't think we can get the colonists back, but we can stop them from taking more people. Like you, for instance."

The colonist took a deep breath. "Sorry," he said. "I just... hearing about Freedom's Progress and Jordan's Promise, and now this... Nobody knows what the hell is going on right now. We're the third colony attacked, and..." He sighed. "I just didn't think it would happen a third time. I thought the Alliance had it under control."

"Obviously not," said Shepard. "Did they even do _anything_ around here?"

"Well... They dispatched an operative here recently," said the colonist. "They were installing a new state-of-the-art security system. You'd have to ask Lillith about that: the Alliance person they sent was well-versed in tech, and it's so advanced it's above my pay grade to know." He sighed. "And here I thought it was batarians..."

"I'm sure they've been doing their best," Jodie reassured the colonist. She then looked up. "But they didn't fire, did they?"

"I don't know what happened, but these things must have found a way to disable this whole security system before they landed," he said.

Thane paused, looking up. "And if we were to reactivate it, it would fire on the Collectors?" he asked. "Or perhaps they have a ship?"

"They did come in on a ship," said the colonist. "Big, weird-looking thing."

Grunt chuckled. "I like it," he said. "Let's blow them up!"

"If it can even do that," said Shepard. He then turned to the colonist. "I don't think I can save the colonists they have already. But, I can tell you now I can stop them from taking more."

"Good," said the colonist. "The defense system consists of new cannon towers. You'll need to go to the spaceport to re-activate the towers."

Shepard nodded. "You'll need to find a new place to hide," he said. "I'm pretty sure these things know where you are now."

"Yeah, I'll go find that," said the colonist. He then turned. "Good luck."

With this, he walked off. Jodie watched him go, Aiden trilling softly as the group watched him leave. Jodie could only watch, letting out an exhale. As she watched him retreat further into the garage, she sighed, crossing her arms.

"He seemed rather nervous," Thane pointed out.

"Yeah, I would say so," said Jodie. She turned back to Shepard. "We should probably get going."

"Let's do that, then," said Shepard. He then turned, looking over to the opposite end of the garage. "Come on, looks like this is the way out!"

* * *

Jodie looked up at the seeker swarms again as soon as they began to approach the spaceport. The little grainy clouds seemed to fly furiously about, still looking for something to grab on to. It flew over the group another time or two, but otherwise Jodie was able to watch as it moved.

And then, her eyes turned to the massive brown structure that had taken up residence right in the center of the spaceport. She was not particularly close, but she could tell even from that distance that the ship they stood before was huge. It also seemed unnatural, yet oddly organic in how the shapes seemed to melt, like strange towers made of clay. The sight was enough to unnerve Jodie significantly, and she felt a chill run down her spine.

"All the captured colonists are in there..." she whispered, taking in a deep breath. "They're all in there..."

She heard footsteps come up behind her. "I do not think that we can save them."

Jodie turned, looking behind her to see Thane standing not too far from her. Jodie sighed as the drell approached, her own gaze turning back to the ship.

"No," she said. "The ship's too far away, and probably too well-guarded. But you can't help but feel that we _should_ , even if we can't."

"I know that feeling all too well," Thane replied. Jodie turned just in time to catch the way Thane's head sagged. He then looked up, turning his attention to a small tower in the center of an open field. "I assume that is what we need to control these new cannon towers?"

"Yeah, but we'll need Tali to hack into it," said Jodie.

"And not EDI?" asked Thane.

Jodie shook her head. "I don't think Shepard trusts EDI," she said. "It's a long story."

"You're damn right I don't trust her. But, you know, I have other things that don't require Tali to stand still."

Jodie and Thane both turned around, seeing Shepard step towards the tower. His omni-tool was open, and as he approached the tower Jodie immediately realized what he was doing. Thane, however, leaned forward, crossing his arms as he watched Shepard intently.

"You have an alternative?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Shepard. "Because I don't know about you, but I don't really like the idea of Tali being a stationary target. She's much more useful when she's able to actually _dodge_ things like the rest of us." He then approached the tower, kneeling before it and frowning. "But for me, I've got a way around that: I have something that can hack into this thing and do what we need it to do."

Jodie gulped, hoping that Thane had not noticed anything. The thought briefly crossed her mind that she should tell Thane the truth right there, but the thought was quickly dispelled by the fact that Shepard was standing right there, and that Grunt would probably catch on, wherever he was. It was a risk, and one she knew she could not take at that particular moment.

Aiden, thankfully, dispelled her frustration with a soft trill. Jodie sighed, just in time to see a line of green spark jump from Shepard's omni-tool to the tower.

"And there," said Shepard. "Let the program do its magic!"

And as Shepard stood up, there was a whirr heard from a distance. As Jodie looked on, she noticed that a section of four towers all around the colony began to turn towards the Collector ship. As they turned, a little dome on the top opened, revealing several pairs of cannons on the top of each tower. Jodie glanced around, realizing the design seemed familiar, but not of this galaxy.

And then, she looked back to the tower, seeing the green sparks fly off of it. She swallowed immediately, and felt her blood run cold.

_Shit!_

Before Aiden could react, however, there was the sudden sound of insect wings flitting about in the air. Jodie then turned around, just in time to see a large swath of Collectors approach the tower. It was a large group, more than Jodie had ever seen in the colony. And as she looked up, she swallowed, her eyes darting to the vast amount of Collectors around.

Off to the side, she heard Grunt's loud laughter. "Now _this_ is a _fight_!" he exclaimed. "Where was _this_ before?"

"Somewhere, Grunt!" Shepard said.

It was then that Jodie saw Tali approach, cocking her shotgun as she glanced at the Collectors. "Well, I guess it's time to show them what we do, right?"

Jodie quickly nodded, pulling her assault rifle out. "Y-yeah," she said. "Of course."

"Then let's get to it." Shepard glowed green, a demonic grin coming to his face as he looked at the forces coming in. "Let's get this show on the road..."

With this, the commander leapt high in the air. He then reached down, his blade coming to life as he landed right in front of the first Collector. He then swirled around, slicing its head clean off as he then dashed to the side.

Jodie's attention was immediately pulled away by the sound of Collectors flying in from behind them. She turned, looking up to see more flying in. She then grabbed her assault rifle, laying close to the tower as she raised her rifle. As soon as she fired, the Collectors fired back, and she had to duck back as soon as mass accelerator rounds impacted against the railing she took cover behind.

Jodie hid back behind cover, looking over at the Collectors as they began to pour in. Already, she could hear Grunt's joyous laughter, his footsteps coming in just underneath them. Jodie frowned, before pulling herself back up just in time to see Grunt smash a Collector's head against the wall of a prefab unit. She then turned, seeing Tali move to a new location with her shotgun in hand. Before she could do much, Jodie heard the harsh report of a sniper rifle go off next to where she sat. She did not need to turn to know Thane had fired a shot, or indeed that it had taken down a Collector that was approaching Tali.

Jodie nodded. "Right," she whispered. "Cover Grunt. Got it."

She then popped out of cover, wasting no time firing a few assault rifle rounds at a Collector that was approaching Grunt from his left side. She looked up just as another Collector flew in, before turning and shooting at that one. She managed to take it down just as it was about to land, giving Grunt time to shotgun another Collector.

It was then that Jodie heard a buzz in her ear. " _And good morning ladies and gentlemen!_ " Jodie swallowed, only then realizing just how uncannily similar Vi'tro's voice sounded to Wilson's. " _We're going by at a good pace here. As of now, we're about twenty percent of the way to getting this system down to full functionality._ "

" _Good._ " Shepard's voice came on, and Jodie thought she could hear the mysterious voice shout in the background. " _Keep up the good work. And Jodie, don't say anything: this is a private channel. Thane and Grunt are not on board yet, you got that?_ "

Jodie nodded. "I read you," she muttered.

She did not even wait for Shepard's reply: as soon as he spoke up, Jodie came out of cover, shooting at another airborn Collector. The line went silent afterwards, of course, but this gave Jodie recourse to concentrate back on Grunt as he gleefully smashed the butt of his shotgun against a Collector. The krogan had the good sense to duck out of the way of another one, though, and Jodie shot this other Collector down as well.

And then, it was so that the Collectors slowly began to thin out: before long, Jodie found that Grunt was able to take on the remaining Collectors on his own. When she turned to Tali and Thane, she noticed there was something similar happening there, before she looked back and saw Shepard thinning a slowly-diminishing crowd.

As she stood up, though, she frowned: she knew with a ship that big, there were bound to be more Collectors than that. She then stood up, before walking back down the ramp and away from the tower. As soon as she was sure she was out of earshot of both Thane and Grunt, she brought a hand back to her ear.

"Something's not right about this," she said. "Vi'tro, how far are you to making all this work?"

" _About fifty percent,_ " he said. " _You're not getting the same feeling I am, are you?_ "

Jodie then looked up. "If it's the feeling the Collectors saved the toughest for last, you wouldn't be wrong," she said.

It was then that a large shadow appeared in the distance. " _I see something,_ " Thane said into the comm unit. " _It... Gods, what is that?_ "

The surprise in Thane's voice seemed uncharacteristic of him: this set Jodie on edge, and then she looked up as the shadow approached. She heard footsteps behind her, and before long she caught Shepard in her peripheral vision. The Commander moved to ask her something, but then he looked up, watching as the something approached.

And as it drew closer, Jodie could only gasp: it was a strange, black thing that looked uncannily similar to the Collectors that had come before. However, there was an unnatural blue aura surrounding it, and Jodie could barely make out several husk heads right where its chest would be. Jodie cringed, Aiden trilling lowly in alarm as the thing flew closer. And as its plump, beetle-like body drew closer, Jodie could only shrink back in disgust.

"Well, that could use a trip to the beauty salon."

Jodie turned to Shepard, the Commander crossing his arms. "No, really?" Jodie asked, turning her attention back to the large object. "What even _is_ that thing?"

"Whatever it is, let's hope we don't have to find out the hard way," said Shepard. He then stowed his blade away, before pulling out his gun. "Come on, let's give this thing a taste of the Normandy's crew!"

Of course, as soon as the Commander said this, the beetle drew close, and then it fired a particle beam similar to the one shot by the other collectors right at Tali. The quarian hid behind cover, but as she moved to the side to adjust her aim she saw the particle beam melt right through the spot where she used to be. Tali blinked in shock, before she then rushed out of cover, attempting to move to a different position as the beam followed her.

This was interrupted by the sharp report of a shotgun from just beneath the creature. Jodie turned, seeing Grunt underneath it. It was then that she took her cue, raising her assault rifle as let out a laugh.

"Pick on someone your own size, you whelp!" Grunt shouted.

As if to oblige the krogan, the strange beetle suddenly stopped, its strange wings flitting out. It then moved up slightly, before it slammed into the ground. The impact was enough to knock Grunt off of his feet, the krogan sitting up in confusion as he watched the beetle settle on the ground.

And then, Jodie watched the beetle begin to give off a blue glow, Jodie lowering her weapon as Grunt's eyes widened in realization.

"Shit!" Shepard immediately rushed past Jodie, and she watched as the commander rush towards Grunt. The krogan, to his credit, did move to get to his feet and run as fast as he could, but the Commander got there first. He then shoved Grunt as hard as he could away from the creature, the krogan stumbling before he dashed away. Shepard followed suit.

And then, a large blue energy emanated from the beetle. It sent Shepard flying off to the opposite wall, the commander falling to the ground after he hit the wall. He pushed himself to his hands and knees, shakily managing to stand up as he stumbled behind cover.

"Shepard!" Tali shouted.

"I'm fine!" Shepard replied. Jodie could see him take a couple deep breaths. "Just give me a minute, that hit pretty hard."

Jodie nodded, before she looked up at the strange beetle. "Take it down!"

As she said this, she lifted her assault rifle, firing a few rounds directly at the beetle. The beetle turned its attention to her, before it slowly lurched towards her. She fired a few assault rifle rounds at the beetle, before noticing that it hardly even budged. She then looked over to Grunt as he switched his weapon to the assault rifle, nad after hearing the report of Thane's sniper rifle.

She then looked up, firing another barrage of assault rifle rounds. This had no effect either, and then she was forced to leap out and roll away as the particle beam then reappeared. As she ran, the particle beam remained close behind, and she could see the ground seemingly melt from underneath the particles.

It was not until she managed to leap behind a crate on the far end of the field that she realized just how far she had run. And the whole time, she also realized everyone else had been pumping rounds into the beetle. And yet, it still lurched closer and closer to Jodie, the beetle looking unfazed by anything.

Jodie exhaled, gritting her teeth. "Holy shit, nothing's working..."

It was then that Jodie saw Shepard glow green. The commander then pushed out of cover, before grabbing a ball of energy and forming it in his hand.

"Then let's see if _this_ does anything!"

With this, the commander lobbed this ball of pure energy right at the beetle. It stumbled back, the impact stunning it briefly as it turned around to Shepard. Jodie then watched as the Commander formed another ball, before lobbing that at the beetle as well. It impacted hard against the beetle, and it let out a screech as it lurched to the side, dipping closer to the ground.

It then unveiled a spot where Jodie could see several husk heads appear towards the front.

Jodie grit her teeth, grabbing her assault rifle and shooting at the heads. "Aim for the heads!" she shouted.

She was sure Thane was the only one who had time to hear her, however, for after the sole report of a sniper rifle the creature let out the first strangled cry of pain anyone had heard come from it. Jodie was able to turn just in time to see Shepard prepare a third ball, this one larger than the others. He let out a cry, before releasing the third ball, Jodie noticing that it grew in size.

And then, the beetle was caught in a flash of light. It let out an almost mechanical-sounding screech, before it got flipped over. It fell to the ground, but Jodie had the feeling it could not exercise its slam attack from earlier. She thus rushed out of cover, peppering it with assault rifle fire. And as she did this, she saw Grunt run right up, his shotgun bared as he then aimed it right at the strange beetle. He then paused before it, gritting his teeth.

"You just picked the wrong guys to screw with."

With this, the krogan fired a single shotgun blast. And then, the strange beetle let out a cry, disintegrating right before their very eyes. Jodie breathed in, watching the pieces of the beetle float off as Shepard stumbled forward. She turned to Thane and Tali as they both came out of cover, before they all turned back to where it used to be.

Jodie then glared at Shepard. "Why the hell didn't you just do that in the _first_ place?" she asked.

"I only like to use that as a last resort," said Shepard.

Thane leapt out from behind cover, stowing his sniper rifle away. "What was that?" he asked. "I have never seen an energy quite like it."

"It's a long story," said Shepard. He then shook his head. "At last it's dead now."

"Yes..." said Tali. "It's gone now. Good riddance."

And then, Xi'tro's voice rang loud in Jodie's comms piece.

" _Got it! Let's give those thieving asses what for!_ "

And with that, Jodie watched as the GARDIAN cannons jumped to life: she saw them move, the mechanical whirr of their start-up sounding a bit distant but loud. She then looked up, seeing two cannon cannons on towers shift, their barrels pointing right at the Collector's ship. She heard some sort of klaxon go off throughout the colony, Aiden letting out a loud trill as Jodie and the others beheld this.

And then, they watched as the cannons fired.

Jodie watched as the rounds from the cannons began their continuous barrage. Something seemed off about the rounds, but she paid it no mind as she watched the Collector Ship take the impacts. She could not see how they impacted, but she could see other streaks of white off in the distance, and she could see enough of the impacts themselves to notice that they were still doing extensive damage to the Collector Ship.

After about ten seconds, Jodie felt a rumbling under her feet. As the rumbling increased, she suddenly noticed the Collector Ship rise, the large ship pulling away from the colony. Eventually, the ship rose up, still sustaining GARDIAN rounds as it ascended. Jodie thought she could even see a small explosion on one part of the ship as it pulled away from the ground, though it was only brief as the ship pulled away, leaving the colony behind entirely.

As soon as it vanished from view, Jodie let out a sigh of relief. She propped herself up on her knees, chuckling softly as she looked to everyone around her. Grunt stowed his shotgun, shaking his head as he moved towards Jodie.

"And now they're running off like cowards," he said.

Jodie noticed Tali walk up to Grunt, the quarian looking rather worn out but otherwise alright. "Well, their ship was getting shot up," she said.

"And we did give them quite a fight," Thane said.

Grunt chuckled, a grin forming on his face. "That we did," he said. He then turned to Shepard, looking at the Commander as he sheathed his blade. "When's the next fight?"

"I don't know, Grunt," said Shepard. He then looked up at where the Collector Ship used to be. "But you've proved your worth. I'll have to take you down on the ground team again some time."

The krogan's grin turned into a full-on smile. "Now that's what I like to hear!" Grunt stated.

Jodie then looked up, before sighing at where the ship used to be. "How much of the colony did they manage to grab?" she asked.

"I don't know," said Tali as she looked up. "But at least they didn't take everyone this time."

"That is small comfort," Thane replied.

"Still, we did what we could," said Jodie. She then sighed. "Well, I guess we better answer to the colonists."

"Or get out of here before they do," said Tali. "They might find it a little strange that Shepard is back from the dead."

"Or they could love it," said Shepard. He then walked off towards where they had come from, bringing a hand up to his comm unit. "But I'm not going to risk that." He then looked up. "Joker, send us a shuttle. We're ready to leave this place."

Joker's voice came on rather quickly. " _What, not wanting to soak in the victory, Commander?_ " he asked. " _Whatever you say..._ "

Shepard nodded, lowering his hand and turning to Jodie and the others as he rubbed his hands together.

* * *

"Are you _shitting_ me?"

" _No, Jon'ison. I came across all these protocols while booting up those cannons. And as I suspect, everything is like our plasma cannons. They had to jury-rig a new fluid to make plasma out of, but the process is essentially the same._ "

Shepard let out a loud cry of anger, before sweeping the desk right next to him of its contents. This threw Jodie and Tali aback, the two of them looking on as Shepard then banged his fist into the table hard enough to put an impressive dent in there.

In the silence, they could both hear his heavy breathing. Tali stepped forward then, laying her hands on Shepard's shoulders. Jodie thought to stop her, but she paused when she saw the way Shepard calmed down under her touch.

Shepard exhaled. "Okay." He then shook his head. "Okay..."

Tali nodded, before looking up to where Vi'tro's hologram was displayed over Shepard's desk. "So, you're saying that the Alliance has somehow acquired your technology?"

" _Yes,_ " said Vi'tro. " _I don't know how, but... But the fact is, they have our technology._ "

Jodie felt her heart begin to pound, as Aiden growled in disapproval. "W-well, what do you think could've happened?" she asked.

" _I am aware that our galaxy suffered an... infiltration while you were gone, Jon'ison,_ " said Vi'tro. " _But I never could have imagined the Alliance was involved..._ "

"Neither could anyone else," said Tali. She then looked down. "If they know your galaxy..."

Shepard growled, before exhaling roughly. "No, there's no way they could know," he said. "They probably just found out through a leak in our intelligence, like whatever brought them to our galaxy in the first place." He turned away from Vi'tro. "Tell my galaxy to get back on that," he said. "We need more specifics than what we have now. Names, anything we can use!"

" _They did pick up one Chris Valentine,_ " said Vi'tro. " _Our operatives have been looking to find him on merc registers, but they have been unsuccessful. But maybe we've been looking in the wrong place..._ "

At this, Jodie had to swallow a lump in her throat. _Crap,_ she thought. She then glanced away at Aiden, hearing the entity gurgle. _Why did the Alliance think using that for their colony defense was a good idea?_

"Then find him!" said Shepard. He abruptly stood up, breaking from Tali's shoulders. "I don't care how you do it, just make sure he is brought to answer, and made to tell how the _hell_ our technology got into the Alliance's hands!"

And at this, Jodie frowned. "You really think he's the most logical candidate?" she asked.

" _Even if we did somehow find a reason to smuggle blueprints for our warships' plasma cannons into this galaxy, we would certainly use encryption that no smuggler here would break into,_ " Vi'tro replied, his gaze turning to Jodie. " _Additionally, one of our battleships disappeared when they fled back to this galaxy. We still do not know where it is, and are trying to find it as best we can. If it were in an Alliance shipyard..._ "

Shepard shook his head. "Either way, this isn't good." He then sat back down. "If the Alliance knows about it, you know they're going to share it with the Council! And that will undermine everything..."

Tali looked at Shepard. "I knew you would run into a dilemma like this some time," she said. She turned to Vi'tro, a frown coming to her face. "You could have just revealed your intentions with Cerberus to the Council."

" _And what good would that have done?_ " asked Vi'tro. " _They would have just stood in the way._ "

Jodie shook her head, before standing up. "You don't know that," she said. "They could've helped you."

"I doubt that," said Shepard. "We did recon on them, when I first came to this galaxy. If they were willing to overlook batarian slavery for as long as they did before humanity came into the picture, they can overlook the genocide of my people. If they were willing to sterilize an entire race for longer than was necessary, they won't mind the Illusive Man's reasoning. If they were willing to make outcasts of an entire people because they were afraid of new life neither of them understood, they would make outcasts of us." He then turned to Jodie. "And your species is now the darling of the galaxy."

Jodie shrugged. "I don't think you're right about any of that," she said. "Especially since they changed their policy about the batarians after humans came into the galaxy and started getting their colonies raided by slavers."

Shepard frowned, but Jodie could see the gears work in his mind. He then looked down, his frown deepening, not in frustration but in thought.

After a second, Shepard then grinned, a malevolent grin that put Jodie on edge. "You know, Jodie, you're not wrong..." He then sat down, booting up his terminal and writing a message. "Vi'tro, we will continue with our plans around Cerberus for now. Tell everyone downstairs that our plans have slightly changed, though."

Vi'tro paused, frowning in confusion. " _Jon'ison?_ " he asked.

And with this, Shepard's grin grew more devilish. "I just got an idea," he said. He then turned to Jodie. "You will be rewarded for this, Jodie. Thank you."

Jodie swallowed a lump in her throat, glancing at Vi'tro and then at Tali nervously. "I don't know if I like the sound of that..."

And in the silence, Aiden gurgled uncertainly, the sound hanging in the air as Shepard finished writing his message to what Jodie was fairly certain would be the Parliament men...


	7. Chapter Seven

"And how, pray tell, did he manage to hide his secret from us for so long?"

"I... Honestly, I don't know. The Commander never explained it when I was under his employ, and I still don't have an answer now."

"They never told you."

"I'm afraid not."

"I see..."

Dr. Karin Chakwas sat in the interrogation room. Opposite from her, a turian interrogator paced around, his gaze directed at the seat she sat in. Her hands were placed on a table: they had been uncuffed, as everyone knew the doctor posed no danger to the interrogator in the room.

Dr. Chakwas brushed some graying strands of hair out of her face. "He does have... _other_ abilities, of course," she said. She looked to the ground. "If you're wondering why I didn't believe him..."

The interrogator turned, the dim lighting of the room obscuring his black face tattoo within a brown exoskeleton. "Such as...?"

"Well... when he told me the truth about himself, he didn't exactly... _tell_ me," said Dr. Chakwas. She then lifted her hands up. "He... melded with me. Similar to an asari."

The interrogator frowned, blinking as he took in those words. "Really?" he asked. "Like an asari?"

"It's why I didn't immediately fill in a report to send him to psych evaluation," said Dr. Chakwas. "I don't think that leaves room for any doubt, does it?"

"No, it does not." The interrogator moved close, sitting on the table. "Why didn't you tell your superiors?"

"I... I felt impelled not to," said Dr. Chakwas. "I thought about it, even with Shepard's reasoning. But there is always something in the back of my mind, thinking that it's really not necessary for them to know. I..." The doctor exhaled. "I still think that, even right now. And even though you already know everything..." The doctor leaned forward, letting out a gentle sigh. "I still can't believe this is all for naught now."

"I wouldn't say that," said the interrogator. "You'll see: there's more at stake here than just this now." He then stood up, walking to the door. "One last question: did he ever tell you anything about a Reckoning on Balak."

Dr. Chakwas frowned, looking at the turian. "Reckoning?" she asked. "What does that refer to?"

The turian bowed his head. "And he kept secrets from his confidants..." He shook his head, before looking back to the doctor. "That will be explained to you some other time," he said to her. "For now, you are to be returned to containment. Thank you, doctor: you have been exceptionally cooperative through all this."

The doctor nodded, right as two other turians came forward with handcuffs. They gently attached them to her wrists, to which the doctor offered no resistance. The doctor said nothing, letting the salarians lead her out of the room.

And as they walked through the darkened corridors of the prison, Dr. Chakwas could not help but turn to one of them. "You don't plan to hurt the commander, do you?" she asked.

"That's not in my pay grade to know, ma'am," the turian to her left stated. "But I can tell you, that from what I've heard in whispers, that's not the initial plan."

Dr. Chakwas let out a sigh of relief. "Good," she said. "I hope that stays true through everything..."

* * *

Jodie looked up at the ceiling of the observation room. Her hands laid over her stomach, and she breathed in and out steadily as she thought about what Shepard had noticed on Horizon. The use of the plasma cannons to take down the Collector ship, the fact that Jodie was fairly certain they had only just done so, the fact that they were there at all...

 _I guess they never expected Shepard would wind up coming to any human colonies, never mind Horizon, right?_ she thought.

Aiden trilled softly, before he gurgled. Jodie heard the way the sound moved about the room, letting out an uneasy sigh.

 _Maybe,_ she thought. She then looked out of the window, to the stars. _You don't think Shepard meant it when he said I'd be rewarded for whatever it is I said that... You don't think so, right?_

But Aiden could only reply in a faint whoosh, one Jodie almost did not hear. Jodie closed her eyes, shaking her head gently as she rolled onto her side. _It's so tough to think..._

Jodie then blinked twice, before swallowing a lump in her throat. "EDI?"

She heard the electronic beep from behind her. " _Yes, Jodie?_ " she asked.

Jodie sat up on the couch. "Is Jacob around?" she asked.

" _Mr. Taylor is currently busy talking to Tali about something in the engineering deck,_ " said EDI. " _Miranda is likewise occupied in a meeting with Shepard and Thane._ "

Jodie frowned. "No doubt she's getting shouted down by the Commander again," she said.

" _Less so than I have usually observed,_ " EDI noted. " _It is apparently a meeting about Thane's son._ "

 _Shit_ , Jodie thought. _So they're getting closer than we'd like._

"I see," Jodie replied. She shook her head, shifting her position on the couch. "Sorry, forget I asked."

But before Jodie could lay back down, EDI spoke: " _Grunt is presently unoccupied, however._ "

Jodie blinked in surprise, before abruptly sitting at attention. "Grunt?" she asked. "What makes you think I care about him?"

" _I notice the way you get around him,_ " said EDI. " _Okeer spends time in his laboratory, doing whatever the Commander asks. When he is down, he lectures Grunt. When you are there, it is different. My logic circuits tell me he appreciates that._ "

Jodie chuckled, standing up as she regarded the AI. "Don't tell me you're getting all emotional on me, EDI," Jodie replied.

" _I do not have the capacity to form emotions,_ " said EDI. " _I was not programmed for such things._ "

"But you're noting emotion," said Jodie. She walked around the couch, leaning back against it.

" _I am,_ " she said. " _That is all I can do. I do not yet have the capacity to express emotion myself._ "

"It'd probably take an AI a while to figure that out." Jodie shrugged. She then set off for the door.

" _You have much on your mind,_ " EDI noted. " _I see you down here, always thinking._ "

"Are you wondering what I'm thinking?" asked Jodie.

" _I find myself curious,_ " said EDI. " _That, and Operative Lawson doesn't like secrets on board the ship._ "

"Well..." Jodie glanced to the side, swallowing another lump in her throat. "Sorry, EDI, but that's classified."

The volume bars around EDI's globe jumped up a bit of their own volition. " _I see_ ," she then said. " _I wonder: you never want to talk to Jack._ "

And at this, Jodie sighed, crossing her arms. "She's the kind of person I'm not sure I want to spend too much time around," she said. "It's... well, you know how she is."

" _Your point is taken,_ " EDI replied. " _Grunt will be alone for some time: Okeer is busy engineering some weapons modifications on Shepard's orders._ "

"Thank you, EDI," said Jodie. She approached the door, stretching her arms. "I guess it beats laying on a couch for a long while. I'll head on down there, then."

" _Noted,_ " EDI replied. " _Be aware not to allow yourself to get too close._ "

"I'll be fine, EDI," said Jodie. "It's gotten me this far, my friendships."

With this, she left the observation deck. As she walked, she heard Aiden rumble softly. As soon as the rumble ended, Jodie gave Aiden a knowing grin, a grin which vanished almost as soon as it appeared, before she walked to the elevator and pressed the call button.

* * *

" _He can meld?_ "

"Evidently, Kim."

" _Hm... Then it's as I thought. He has the connection to what Jodie would call the Infraworld for sure, but not the spirit to match._ "

"I guess you need the spirit to be called spirit-touched?"

" _Yes. As it is, Shepard is what we'd call realm-touched. The spirit-touched and the realm-touched are related, but not the same, though they are folded into each other since frequently, realm-touched are also spirit-touched. I guess that would explain why he was able to pass as spirit-touched all these years..._ "

Pravuil sat back, looking at the holographic communicator. General Victus sat to the side, looking on as they both communicated with Kim on the communications array. The room was dark, but not so much that the hologram before them provided the only source of light: indeed, the white lights of the area almost seemed to highlight the blue hue that the hologram took on. As they spoke, Victus sat up, his carapace brows furrowing slightly.

"But they can exist separately," said Victus.

" _Yes,_ " said Kim. " _I always knew that the guys upstairs exaggerated with their propaganda, but to think they would go so far as to pass Shepard off as a spirit-touched..._ "

"I see." Pravuil then leaned forward, looking to the panel. "Still, he is not spirit-touched. That means that Jodie will not be discovered."

" _Not if she's careful,_ " said Kim. " _Still, we do have our work cut out for us. Realm-touched have a greater ability to influence the minds of the people they come into contact with. We better hope he doesn't pull his melding tricks on anyone on this new Normandy's crew._ "

"That is not for us to discover, though," said Victus. He rubbed the area just under his mandibles, before shaking his head. "Are there other abilities, besides this melding and the Reckoning?"

" _Certainly,_ " said Kim. " _I'll forward your intelligence crews a full list of realm-touched abilities._ "

Victus smiled. "Thank you," he said. "That would be most appreciated."

Pravuil then stood up. "Well, now that we can confirm what he is, I think this conversation is over, yes?" he asked.

" _For now,_ " said Kim. " _Keep me updated on what else she says. Now that we finally have her with us, we might be able to get a bit more information than this._ "

"We will," said Victus. "Pass all of that on to Punargathana."

" _Certainly,_ " said Kim. " _And you guys take care of yourselves._ "

With this, Kim cut the connection, the remaining lights in the room coming up as soon as the blue hologram faded into nothing. As she did this, Pravuil turned to Victus, crossing his arms. Victus could see the barest hint of a smile on Pravuil's face, the closest the aqueron ever gave to expression.

"Well, Jodie is in good hands, then," said Victus. "Realm-touched can't see spirit-touched."

Victus frowned, the turian beginning to walk out of the room. "They can't?" he asked. "But they get their abilities from this 'Infraworld' you and Jodie keep talking about."

"We honestly don't fully understand it ourselves," said Pravuil as he walked alongside the general. "What we know is that the spirit-touched have an entity attached, the realm-touched affect people with their minds, some have both abilities and are labelled spirit-touched, and that historically articians have been the only ones who know about any of it." The aqueron fiddled with one of his fins. "It's one of the most closely guarded secrets of the artician race: not even the most trusted tolahña diplomat would be able to tell you how the articians got those abilities in the first place. And unfortunately, part of that pantheon of questions we have involves why spirit-touched and realm-touched can't see each other as such until they use their abilities."

Victus nodded as they both began walking down the hallway back to the control room. "I see..." he said. "Well, it doesn't matter where they come from: what matters is what they can do. In the meantime, we'll continue monitoring all the intelligence we can."

"And then we hope Jodie remains safe."

The turian let out a sigh, bowing his head once. "Yes," he said. "And then we hope Jodie remains safe."

* * *

" _And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting,_ still _is sitting  
_ _On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;  
_ _And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,_  
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;  
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor  
Shall be lifted—nevermore!"

Jodie looked up as soon as she finished reading to find Grunt leaning back. She then frowned immediately, seeing that Grunt had taken to closing his eyes, letting the silence take over.

After a second, though, Grunt sat up, blinking his eyes as he looked at her. "What, that was it?" he asked.

"Uh... yeah," said Jodie, her frown deepening.

Grunt snorted, turning away. "You call that great? That was boring!" he said. "You could put me to sleep with that!"

"Well, you did ask me to read it," said Jodie.

"I wouldn't have, if I'd have known it would be so boring," he said. "Where's the fight? Nothing's complete without one!"

"Actually, you'd be surprised," Jodie replied as she set the datapad in her lap. "Being strong isn't just about fighting, you know. There are other things in life, too."

"You said that already," said Grunt. He then leaned back. "And if those other things just put me to sleep like that..."

Jodie shook her head, before leaning forward. "I don't think they all will." She paused, looking to the side. "And it's not like all poetry isn't about fighting..."

Grunt frowned. "Then show me one where people fight," he said. "I don't want to hear whining about death. I want to hear about heroes fighting wars. Like the Warlord Shiagur."

"Shiagur?" Jodie asked.

"A female warlord," said Grunt. "And one of the few females left fertile after the genophage. Her exploits were one of the things I heard in my tank, exploits that went on and on. And I looked forward to the next one." He then grinned. "Her death was the last great battle of the Rebellions. More like hers."

Jodie sighed. Aiden then chirred, Jodie turning her attention to the tank. They both looked at it, Jodie's frown softening somewhat as she gazed upon it. She knew she'd have to find something that fit that: there were several things she could think of, some older than others. But the more she thought about it, the more one particular possibility came to her, over and over again.

She then breathed in, looking back at the krogan. "The only thing I can think of is really, really long," she said. "It'd take us a lot of time to get through it."

Grunt snorted. "Good, you humans have something." He then looked at the datapad as Jodie picked it up. "Read it!"

"It'll have to be in installments," said Jodie, typing the words ' _Homer_ ' and ' _Illiad_ ' into her extranet search bar. "I'm not kidding about it being really long..."

* * *

Liara opened her field equipment, looking over the field before them as she began to set up the station. "And you're _sure_ this is where they are."

She turned to look at her partner: the orange scales on his face stood out in what little light there was to be found at that time. The drell remained quiet at first, as he finished calibrating another large piece of equipment there.

"The boss' intel led us to here," he finally replied, stepping away from the equipment. "He said this is possibly a vital outpost, too."

"And we're just here to survey, of course," said Liara as she set another panel down, working on calibrating it correctly.

"Yes," the drell replied as he moved closer to her. He then appraised Liara, crossing his arms. "I still can't believe you managed to get the Shadow Broker to trust you this much."

"Well, you tend to gain his trust pretty quickly when you show him extensive evidence of a secret he somehow managed to miss," Liara replied. She then turned back to the drell, shrugging. "I would think you'd get how that works, Feron."

Feron chuckled then, giving a slight bow to Liara. "Some things just defy explanation," he said. "Was it true you barged right in demanding to see the Broker?"

Liara shook her head. "No," she replied. "That's actually an exaggeration. None of us really knows where he is." She then leaned towards Feron. "I hope the Broker aims to keep it that way. That would be bad news if the Broker's information network were to crumble."

Feron nodded, setting down as soon as Liara finished calibrating the last of the equipment. He then sighed, looking up at the darkening sky as stars began to appear all around. "This galaxy's network really is as big as you say it is, isn't it?"

"We don't know the actual size," Liara admitted. "But yeah, it's big."

"It held back this galaxy's existence from the Shadow Broker for this long, after all," said Feron. He then looked up. "That means we have to cover our tracks even more, though. If they were hiding all this from the Broker's watchful eye..." He turned to Liara, stroking his chin. "I suspect that's why he has so few agents to help out."

"The STG being on the case doesn't help," Liara replied. She then leaned forward. "But this is too vital for them to work with, so that's why we're here, right?"

"Yes." Feron then booted up a system on one of the terminals that had been set up, his fingers flying across the holographic keyboard. "Now, let's see here... What do we have to report on here?"

* * *

Miranda's office was rather spartan in appearance: there was only the bed well behind the desk and a couple of other things, but apart from that there was very little in the way of decoration. It was strangely quiet, too, but the quiet was rather welcome.

So when Jodie shifted her weight on the wall, Miranda noticed when she began gesturing. The operative sat at the desk, watching Jodie lean against a support pillar on the side of the desk she occupied.

"And then Cole and Nathan had to walk out of there, and... well, they carried the charred remains of that dinner with them," Jodie replied, a smile coming to her face. "And that was the _last_ time I cooked anything for a while."

Miranda could only laugh. "I didn't think you had moments of levity in your life, Jodie," she said. She then leaned back. "And this, in..."

Jodie shrugged. "They were my caretakers in... well, a lab," she said. She then looked up. "They were dealing in... red sand? I think that's what it's called."

"Huh, so you're familiar with Red Sand," said Miranda.

"Not really," she said. "I never tried it, you know. Cole made sure I never did." She chuckled, brushing some hair out of her face as Aiden trilled softly. "He was the one always looking out for me."

"I see," said Miranda. "You seem to look on them fondly, this Nathan and Cole."

Jodie nodded, smiling as she turned to Miranda. "They were good," she said. "They did their best."

Miranda leaned back, her expression still as furtive as always. After a second, she looked up, sighing. "Sounds like you got lucky."

"I did," said Jodie. She shrugged. "Still, when Nathan went mad later, it wasn't so good."

"It rarely is," Miranda replied. She sighed. "But they kept you under close lock and key up until they let you go."

"Yeah," said Jodie. "But it wasn't really a captivity." She then pushed off the wall, moving over to the bed. Miranda remained still, before standing up and leaning on the very spot Jodie used to inhabit.

"No," said Miranda. "They tried to treat you like an actual girl, after all."

Jodie paused, Aiden growling softly at Miranda's inflection. "I guess that means you had a similar experience?" Jodie asked.

Miranda looked down, crossing her arms. "You... could say that," she said. "It was not exact, though."

Jodie shrugged. "This is related to what you ran away from, isn't it?" she asked.

"It is." Miranda looked to the floor, tapping her fingers against the wall. "I tell the Commander I was genetically altered. In truth, I was more... _created_ in a lab."

Jodie blinked, tilting her head to the side. "Really?"

"Yes." Miranda then walked towards the bed. "I was bred to be perfect by my father. He wanted someone who could inherit his wealth."

The former CIA operative frowned, crossing her arms as she regarded Miranda. Aiden clicked once, before Jodie paused in her pacing. "I'm going to guess he was the type to use you?"

"He didn't exactly use me for anything, but his intentions were clear," she said. "He gave me the best everything money could buy. An education many would never dream of, beauty beyond belief..." She shook her head, disdainfully. "But he never wanted a daughter: he wanted a dynasty."

Jodie paused. "That's... still kind of using you for his own ends," she said.

"It is," said Miranda. She then glanced at the Cerberus logo on her uniform. "It's why I came to Cerberus. I ran away from my father as soon as I was old and brave enough. Cerberus offered protection."

As soon as Aiden trilled softly, Jodie nodded, a grim smile coming to her. "Your father was going to go a long way to protect his investment, huh?" she asked.

"Precisely," said Miranda. She nodded. "You're rather perceptive there, Jodie."

"Well, I kind of have to be when we've been through kind of the same things," Jodie replied. "I know old employers of mine were very angry when their own investment went really badly."

"And that is how my father would think of it," said Miranda.

Jodie shook his head. "What kind of pretentious prick would act like that, anyway?" she asked. "Creating a child to preserve his dynasty?"

"He was a businessman," said Miranda. "But a very wealthy one." She then shrugged, chuckling. "I like the way you characterized him. He's an egomaniac."

"No kidding..." Jodie said. "And now you make me glad Nathan was just consumed by grief and not anything more..."

"Indeed," said Miranda.

The two women then sat in a more comfortable silence. They regarded each other quietly, Jodie still realizing that she was the only person on the new Normandy that she had breathed anything about Cole or Nathan to. It was an oddly refreshing feeling to have someone other than Ashley know their names, but to hear that Miranda went through the same thing...

 _I think we can trust her,_ Jodie thought.

Aiden gurgled uncertainly, but Jodie shook her head. _Trust me, Aiden,_ she thought. _I think I know how to broach you to her. But first, you better make sure EDI isn't listening in on this..._

As soon as this thought left Jodie's mind, Aiden chirped once. She then heard a whoosh, the silence extending on as Aiden did his work.

She then stood up. "You know, Miranda... I have a secret about myself," she said.

Miranda frowned. "Will it affect the mission?" she asked.

"It might, but I doubt it'll get in the way," said Jodie. She then paused, before looking to the side. "I can't explain it here, though. We should meet off-ship to discuss that."

The Cerberus operative shifted her posture. "Did anyone on the original Normandy know about it?"

"Ash, Kaidan, Wrex, and Liara all knew about it," she said. "Unfortunately, none of them are here..."

"I see." Miranda then looked to Jodie. "You haven't told Shepard."

"I can't tell Shepard," said Jodie. "Not after the things I've seen. There's a lot going on that you don't know about, Miranda, and Shepard's not to be trusted."

Miranda frowned, laying her fingertips against the desk. "That... is _very_ interesting to hear from you." She then leaned forward.

"Trust me, he has lots of secrets of his own, and they _will_ impact you in some way," Jodie replied. "I'll tell you some time, I promise, but now isn't the right time for that."

The Cerberus operative nodded. "It would be best to talk about it sooner rather than later," she said.

Jodie nodded. She then looked to her omni-tool. "Well, I should get going." She then smiled. "I have to say, you're not as hard to talk to as the Commander pretends you are."

"I guess it's just something, given we have a surprising amount in common," Miranda replied. She looked up to Jodie. "I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to the next time we talk, either."

"You don't normally get this close," Jodie replied.

"No." Miranda shook her head. "It's best not to form attachments."

And at this, Jodie smiled, the smile enigmatic yet warm. "The company you keep can surprise you," she said. She then stood up, before walking out of the office. "I'll see you later, Miranda. The next time we land, give me a call and we'll talk more."

"Certainly," said Miranda.

With this, Jodie turned, walking out of the office. As soon as she did, Aiden chirped uncertainly.

Jodie shook her head. _I think we can trust her, Aiden,_ she thought. _She's really not as bad as I thought she'd be..._

Aiden only replied in a small grumble, before going silent. As he did this, Jodie walked on, hoping that Aiden had made sure to hide the conversation they had just had from EDI.

* * *

"Well, we've got the containment cells built, the varren acquired, and the nanomachines injected. Now what?"

"Now, time for tests."

Kalo stepped back, watching as Mordin manned the terminal. The old salarian stood back, looking at the varren within the containment cell. The strange dog growled at the people outside of the containment cell, and it was with a certain cock of the head that Kalo realized the varren was not pleased to be in there by any stretch of the imagination. Still, Kalo remained calm.

It would not do to startle the creature.

Kalo then looked to Mordin, who had the program open on the terminal. "Alright," he said. "Let us execute the program."

Mordin nodded, tapping one part of the hologram. As soon as he did, however, another window appeared. Both Mordin and Kalo leaned in closer, reading the text displayed:

" _No therapy specified. Please input a command._ "

Kalo glanced at Mordin. "Therapy?" asked Kalo. "It must be specified?"

"Hm... would make sense," said Mordin. He then pointed at a text entry bar directly beneath the command. "Why this?"

"I would not know," said Kalo. "Maybe the directory is empty?"

"Must be," said Mordin. "No directory, no commands. No commands, no form of therapy. No form of therapy, program useless." He breathed in, before exhaling roughly. "Still, should be something. Immune system counter, yes?"

"Yes." Kalo crossed his arms. "Something is not right about this, Mordin..."

The two of them stood in front of the terminal, considering the command further. As they pondered, they heard the door open behind them. When Kalo turned, he saw Daniel step in with a datapad in hand. The young assistant turned as soon as he heard the varren's growl.

The quarian nodded. "Oh, Daniel!" said Kalo. "Is there a new patient?"

"No," said Daniel as he set the datapad down. "It's just another offer from that Mahadood guy again. He _really_ wants us to join his side."

Kalo sighed, but Mordin chuckled. "Admire his persistence," Mordin replied. "Still, persistence is wasted. Clinic open to all, cannot choose favorites. Need more than virtues."

"Especially around here," said Kalo. He then looked to the human. "And is there anything else noteworthy here?"

"No." Daniel then turned, laying his sight on the varren once again. "So the vorcha let it come, huh?"

"Offered good price," Mordin replied. "Vorcha glad to take it."

"I see." Daniel frowned, looking at the creature. It snapped its jaws at Daniel, but could not do much more than that. "You've injected the nanobots, no doubt."

"Yes, but we are confused by why we cannot do a therapy..." Kalo looked back at the varren. "There are no commands."

"Hm..." Mordin stared intently at the screen. "Should make commands. But what?"

"It's not sick, right?" asked Daniel.

"No," said Mordin. "Even if not sick, would be useless. Nanobots meant to boost immune system, would not produce visible effects. Therapy general term. Too broad. Need to narrow down."

"Yeah, I can see how you might need to do that," Daniel said. He then rubbed his chin. "Maybe you need to enter your own?"

Kalo and Mordin both looked at the human. "What makes you think that?" Kalo asked.

"Well, maybe these experts had their own things to input," said Daniel.

"And what gives you that idea?" Kalo asked. "That should make no sense! There would need to be some kind of automation, no?"

"Maybe," said Daniel. "But I seem to recall you said there were various automated processes here."

Mordin then glanced to the side. He picked up a datapad laying close by, booting it up and quickly reading its contents. "Hm... Detected presence of several automated processes, yes. All to ferry commands."

"There has to be more," said Daniel. He walked to the doctor, rubbing his chin. "This thing is supposed to monitor diseases, right? You'd think they would automate all those commands. One person can't handle all those things, and you'd run out of workers to do that quick."

"Yes, but why would this be included, then?" asked Kalo as he indicated the terminal on which the program was displayed.

All three of them considered the varren in the containment cell. It had stopped growling by then: it instead laid down on the floor, letting out a loud snort. It remained completely silent afterwards, regarding the three outside of the cell with a certain distaste.

And then, Daniel's eyes widened. "Unless..." He then turned to Mordin. "What if it's _not_ for the diseases?"

Kalo and Mordin both turned, tilting their heads at the assistant. "What do you mean?" asked Kalo.

"Well, that thing is there for a reason," Daniel said. "What if it's not there for any diseases, but rather for the mind?"

Mordin chuckled. "Quite an overactive imagination," he said.

Kalo nodded. "I have to agree with the doctor," he said, crossing his arms. "What use would that serve?"

"I don't know," said Daniel. "But think about it: it's the only thing that makes sense. They would know what to automate to strengthen your immune system, wouldn't they? It seems weird to me they'd take up valuable storage space on something like this unless it had a reason to be there." He shook his head. "Look, I know it's a crazy idea, but crazy ideas are the only things we can use to explain what's going on here."

Mordin then regarded the assistant, rubbing his chin. "Hm..."

Kalo then turned, walking to the terminal. "Hm... I suppose that is true," he said. "I doubt that will be the case, but I suppose it does make sense with their reluctance to agree to my original terms. There was something they must have been hiding..." He then looked at the terminal, bringing his hands forward to type something. "But how do we test that, then? It's tough to find a good command on a non-sentient animal."

"Not certain," Mordin replied. "Would think it better to analyze code in greater detail. Then test results."

"You might be right." Kalo then turned to another datapad, pulling it up. "I will analyze what I have of their code in greater detail then. I will let you know what I find when I do that."

"How long will that take?" asked Daniel.

"A day, at the very least," said Kalo. He then turned to Mordin. "In the meantime, you should tend to patients. You are getting many more by the day."

"Yes," said Mordin. "Omega more dangerous now."

"Yeah, Mahadood hasn't made things any easier," said Daniel. He then turned to Mordin. "Speaking of which, you know he's swinging by today, right?"

"Yes." Mordin then turned to Kalo. "Should avoid stepping out."

"Of course," said Kalo. He then held up the datapad. "I will be in here."

Mordin then nodded, turning to Daniel. "Work here is done," he said. "Will wait for Kalo."

And with this, Mordin walked to the room's entrance. Daniel followed, casting a glance at Kalo as he moved to a nearby bench. As soon as the two left, the varren growled softly. Kalo peered at him from behind the datapad, his face mask giving no indication of his present mood to the varren.

The varren then whined, before settling back and laying down.

* * *

Jodie leaned back. "No!"

Jacob leaned forward, the operative giving her a smile. "Yes," he replied. "That was literally what she told me."

In response, Jodie could only laugh, shaking her head. Her hands remained stationary on the tray of food she had gotten from Gardner earlier. The two of them thus sat in the mess hall, sharing stories as the rest of the crew around them did as much. Jodie could see Miranda observing off from the side, though her gaze was not as cold as she would have expected.

Jodie leaned forward. "Well, she certainly sounded like a character," she said.

"Not as much as you might think." Jacob leaned forward, shrugging. "But hey, there was just something about her. And she meant business." He then leaned forward. "She could also tell a great many things just by looking at me. It was... a little weird at first, but I got used to it. And before long, we were hitting each other up a lot on that mission. I think she liked that I kept her close."

"Sounds like you two got close," Jodie observed.

Jacob shook his head. "No, not really," he said. "It was just the job, you know."

But Jodie smiled back, her smile a little more enigmatic. "She gave you her extranet mail, right?" asked Jodie.

"She did, but I haven't replied," said Jacob.

Jodie chuckled, indicating at him. "Then what're you waiting for?" she asked. "This... Brynn, right?"

"Yes," said Jacob.

"Yeah, she sounds pretty good for you to keep in touch with," said Jodie. "You should email her some time. Catch up a little bit."

"Well, I don't know," said Jacob. "It was a job, and we just had to communicate a lot. It helped the-"

"Oh, hush," said Jodie. She leaned forward, splaying a hand. "You're still talking about her, and you're not on the job. Besides, from the way you're talking about her, I think it's kind of obvious you've got the hots for her."

Jacob glanced to the side. "It's tough, though," he said. "She's doing who knows what, I'm here on a suicide mission..."

But Jodie shook her head. "Send her that email," said Jodie. "Worst case scenario, she doesn't reply. Best case, she finds the time to keep replying. What harm can it do, you know?"

Jacob sighed, looking down to his omni-tool arm. "If you insist..."

Jodie nodded. "Trust me, I don't think you'll regret that. And she'd probably appreciate it too." She leaned back. "Take it from me: girls like it when you check in on them."

Jacob chuckled, crossing his arms and placing his hands on his biceps. "I'll keep that in mind, then," he said.

Aiden could only gurgle in annoyance. Before Jodie could even think of having to not roll her eyes, however, she heard the door of the elevator open. She heard the hurried footsteps from there, and she turned, seeing Shepard open the door to Thane's quarters. As soon as he ducked in, though, he was back out, and Jodie watched as the Commander into the mess hall, the arc of his eyebrows betraying the commander's worry more than his unusually quick movements did.

"Where's Thane?" Shepard asked.

Jacob frowned. "What do you need him for?"

Shepard nodded, looking right at Jacob. "I just got a critical piece of intel about the location of his son," he said. "And he needs to know right away, because I'm setting course for it as soon as I get up to Joker."

Jodie's hair stood on end, and she heard Aiden trill in alarm not long after. _Oh fuck, already!?_

Before she could object, however, Miranda stepped forward. "Commander, wait a minute," she said. "Where are we going in such a hurry?"

"Thessia." The word came out of the commander's mouth with a speed Jodie never knew he could manage.

"Thessia?" Miranda shook her head, stepping towards the Commander. "Oh no. We're not going to a Council homeworld on a Cerberus vessel."

"You forget, _cheerleader_ , that I made a bargain with him for his loyalty in this mission, and this is me upholding my end of it," said Shepard as he turned away.

"I just don't think it's a very good idea going into territory where we'll be considered terrorists without a contingency plan," Miranda replied. "Especially if we are to pull off a mission of the variety that would gain us Thane's loyalty. And need I remind you that Thessia is one of the best-guarded homeworlds in the galaxy, and you are one of the galaxy's most well-known faces. You would not be able to spend two minutes on there without being identified by _someone_."

"Then what do _you_ suggest we do?" asked Shepard.

"Send a smaller contingency there, of course," said Miranda. "There's a Cerberus base not far from here. I can bring us there, we can change to a smaller craft, and then we can go to Thessia from there. You'll have to pick your ground team here, of course, but after that, we'll head there."

Shepard frowned, his glare remaining constant. However, he finally sighed, waving his hand. "Fine, do what you want," he said. "But we're heading there right now. We clear?"

"Crystal," said Miranda. "I will make the arrangements."

With this, Miranda turned to her office. As she walked away, Shepard shook his head, turning to Jodie. "Jodie, get ready," he said. "We're going plainclothes on this one, so don't bother getting your armor."

It took Jodie a second to register what Shepard had said. As soon as she had, however, she perked up, nodding. "Y-yes," she said. "Of course!"

"Good," said Shepard. "Now where's Thane?"

EDI's globe appeared behind Shepard. " _Thane Krios is meditating in the shuttle bay, Commander,_ " she said.

"Thank you," said Shepard. He turned to the elevator, before looking back at Jodie. "Plainclothes."

As he walked away, Jodie breathed out. Aiden murmured lowly, Jodie nodding in response.

 _I know, Aiden,_ she thought. _Trust me, I know... I just hope it's not too late..._


	8. Chapter 8

 

Jodie pulled at her jacket, taking a breath to calm her raging pulse as she looked to Shepard. He, too, adjusted his own clothes, looking down at the black hoodie he donned at that moment.

"It doesn't look bad on you, you know," said Jodie. She gestured to Shepard's hoodie. "It's not bad, for this weather."

Shepard nodded, zipping up the hoodie. "Thessia in winter is always not that chilly," he mentioned. "At least, that's what I've heard."

"It is not an inaccurate statement." Jodie and Shepard both turned to Thane. The drell walked up to them, sporting his usual attire as he walked up to the new vessel.

Jodie turned to Thane, gesturing to his clothes. "You aren't changing?" she asked.

"I see no need," Thane replied. He then turned to look at the vessel behind them. The vessel they were using was rather small, the Normandy dwarfing it a few docking bays over. Jodie was briefly reminded of the  _Lying Bastard_  when she saw it, but knew from the silky curves of the ship that it was very different. Still, she knew it would fulfill its function.

She thought briefly about how Valentine was doing, but shooed that thought out of her head pretty quickly.

"I see..." Shepard turned, looking at the ship. "It sounds like you are returning here."

"I once had a target on this planet," Thane commented. "An asari commando had hidden herself here. She hid herself well, but I was good at seeing things." He then looked to Shepard. "It is strange that my son may be located in the same quarter."

Jodie nodded, leaning forward. "Wait, then how do you know he's even there?" she asked.

"We have operatives on Thessia," said Shepard. "After I made the call to my informants, they set up shop there. It didn't take them long to find it, but they're asking me to come to Thessia. They don't want to drop the information in a message that could be intercepted."

Jodie frowned. "Intercepted?" she asked. "Why?"

Shepard then turned to Thane. "Well, it seems there's more to your son's disappearance than was visible at first glance," Shepard said. "That's all they could tell me."

"I see," said Thane. "What on Thessia would occur that would keep my son in such a place?"

Jodie chuckled nervously. "Well, I guess we'll find out soon, right?" she asked.

"That we will," said Shepard. He then patted his waist, where his fold-up pistol was. "It'll be just the three of us on the ground today. Anything more, and we risk alerting whatever is keeping Kolyat on Thessia to our presence."

"That will not be a problem," said Thane. "I will likely sneak past it."

"Don't be too sure of that," said Shepard. He then looked to Jodie and Thane. "Come on, let's go. We should take care of this as fast as we can."

Shepard then turned, walking up the gangplank. Jodie and Thane followed in short order, Jodie's footsteps shorter than Thane's. As the group moved, Aiden clicked sharply, the sound nearly giving Jodie reason to jump.

Jodie dared not reply to him, not wanting to gesture in any way.  _Just make sure to look out for anything we can use, please,_ she thought.  _You're the only hope I have right now..._

In response, Aiden clicked once, Jodie exhaling softly as Shepard stepped up to the airlock door.

* * *

It took the ship a little bit to get to Thessia, and then it was another while longer while they waited to dock. In the end, though, Shepard and the group had gotten onto Thessia with no incident. And as they stepped off the ship, Jodie stretched, taking in a deep breath as she realized that the hard part was only just beginning.

Thane stepped out, letting out a light cough as he breathed in Thessia's air. "Where do we go, Shepard?" he asked.

"We have to rendezvous with one of my contacts elsewhere," said Shepard. "He'll be waiting for us at a crowded bar."

"And who is this contact?" Thane asked.

"He goes by the code name 'Aether'," said Shepard. "He's one of my most trusted contacts, and he's one of my top agents to boot."

"And he will be waiting," said Thane.

"He should be," said Shepard. He sighed, looking to Thane. "Oh, and don't mind his eyes, at first. His eyes... glow."

Thane's second eyelids nictated, and as soon as they did Aiden released a soft trill. "He has optical implants?" the drell asked.

"Yes." Shepard crossed his arms.

Thane chuckled. "Well, he will be easy to spot in a crowd," he said.

"Sometimes," said Shepard. "On Thessia, he would stand out more than usual. And we can use that to our advantage." Shepard then opened his omnitool, and both Jodie and Thane leaned over to look at the image. "There he is," Shepard said.

Jodie took in the image of the exion: his features were sharp and angular, and his eyes glowed a bright green. His jet black hair looked about as thick as Kim's hair did, and he seemed to have a perpetually angry countenance. Jodie took in all of the details, frowning as she looked at the shape of his nose, how much his chin jutted out, even the exact way the shine protruded from the green eyes.

 _I hope you're getting this, Aiden,_  she thought.

The entity clicked in affirmation. It was just in time, too, for Shepard closed the omnitool. He then nodded to them. "We're to meet in a bar fifteen minutes away from here. He'll be arriving shortly after we do."

Jodie nodded.  _Perfect,_  she thought.  _Aiden, you ready to do this?_

The entity clicked. Jodie then leaned back, looking at Shepard. "Sounds easy enough," she said. "Find him, get the location from him, and figure it out?"

"It's a few possible locations, but yes," said Shepard. "You know how it is."

Thane nodded. "Then we shall do this," he said. "Come, let's get there."

With this, Thane walked ahead, taking a deep breath in. Shepard and Jodie watched him move, before Shepard walked quickly to catch up to him. Jodie followed soon after, her heart racing as she began to look at her surroundings with extra vigilant eyes. Aiden seemed to whoosh above them, frantically searching for anything as they entered the bar.

It was oddly quiet as they entered: a lone asari bartender stood behind the bar, shaking up a drink for an old turian patron. The rest of the patronage looked rather high-class: off to the side, she saw a couple of human businessmen chatting, holding glasses of some expensive-looking liquor that she could not taste. In another booth, she saw a matriarch, sitting down with a couple of young asari and going over some document with them. She looked down at herself, suddenly feeling woefully out of place as Shepard pulled her and Thane to a nearby booth.

"Uh... why here?" Jodie asked.

"He said he'd explain why." Shepard took a seat, looking on as he motioned for the bartender to come. "But he said it had to be here."

"It seems very high class," said Thane. "Hardly the type of location we would blend in with."

"Yeah," said Shepard. He leaned back. "I guess we'll have to wait to find out. In the meantime, I want to know what the least expensive drink here is."

Jodie nodded, noticing a drink menu off to the side. "Yes, that would be good," she said. "Can't blow our credits on one night of alcohol, you know."

"Especially not on a mission," Shepard replied. He then lifted his finger. "Oh, and only one drink. That's it."

"I will pass, thank you," said Thane. "I am not one for alcohol."

"Good." Shepard grinned. "You can stay focused."

"Yes," said Thane. "It was something stressed by the hanar: imbibing prior to a mission was strictly frowned down upon in our training. I was not old enough to drink it when I was first told about it, but-."

And then Aiden clicked. It was loud enough to pull Jodie's concentration out of the conversation. She froze, clenching her feet in an effort not to make it visible to Shepard. She looked to the side, feeling sweat travel down her brow.

 _Aiden, watch him for now,_ she thought.  _And keep your hearing open._

The entity clicked. In her heightened state, Jodie was just barely able to hear the door open over the sound of the other patrons talking. She then noticed as a human stopped by, dressed appropriately for the crowd's bar. And then, upon closer inspection, she noticed all the same facial features that Shepard had showed her barely a few minutes prior, and in the low lighting of the bar they seemed to jump out at her even more. The sunglasses made the whole thing more eerie. Jodie paused, watching as Shepard stopped saying something, nodding to the man.

"Glad to see you again, Shepard," he said as he sat down at the booth.

"I didn't think you'd be in this high-class an establishment, Aether," said Shepard.

The exion nodded, giving Shepard a wan smile. "Well, hey, I'm known for surprising." Aether looked directly at Jodie and Thane, his smile disappearing. "And you two are his allies, hm?"

"U-uh, yes," said Jodie. She leaned forward, extending her hand to Aether. "Jodie Holmes."

Aether frowned behind his glasses, before he reached over. Jodie immediately sensed the hesitation when he shook her hand, before Aether pulled back. "Charmed," he said. He then bowed his head to Thane. "And charmed to meet you as well, Thane."

As Thane bowed his head in reply, Jodie turned to Aether and heard the flick of the exion's eyes. She saw, too, the way they glowed a little brighter for just a second. And then, he dragged his hand away.

 _Aiden, you don't think he's on to me, do you?_  she asked.

Aiden clicked shortly. Jodie simply took a deep breath.  _Just keep your attention up,_  she thought.

"Well, here we are," said Shepard. "So what the hell are we doing in this place, anyway?"

"This is a stakeout," said Aether. He then turned to Thane. "Our information network has tracked him down to Thessia, and in particular to a very wealthy quarter of the planet."

"We're going to have to go to a party?" asked Jodie.

"No," said Aether. He then leaned forward. "But we are waiting here." He then leaned forward, opening something that Jodie recognized as a handcom. "Now, we've narrowed it down to this quarter, but we don't have a specific house yet. We had to grab files from elsewhere to even get this far, and the encryption was so good we don't have an exact location, or even a name."

"A name?" Thane leaned forward.

"Well, rumor is that there has been a drell that has appeared in one of the houses in this quarter," he said. "There's a popular row of beach houses here that sightings have been reported at. And in that quarter, word travels fast."

"But you'd be able to dissect that, right?" Jodie asked.

Aether flashed me a smile. "Exactly," he said. He turned to Thane. "We are staking out for a rendezvous with an asari maiden tonight. I told her I'd be here, up for a night of good times and alcohol."

Shepard groaned, shaking his head and leering at Aether. "You didn't," he said.

"Hey, you'd be surprised how well charm can work," said Aether. "The plan is for me to ask her where the house is. No funny stuff. I spirit her away, get the location from her, and give her what she wants."

Jodie frowned, looking over at Aether. "What, and that's it?" she asked.

The exion nodded. "I see no reason to involve her any further than that," he said.

Jodie frowned, Aiden letting out a disturbed gurgle. He followed this with a few loud whooshes, Jodie bunching her fists together.

 _Great, exions have functional genitalia,_  she thought.  _That's a thought I could've gone the rest of my life without knowing..._

Thane bowed his head. "There is no loss of life involved," he said. "I frankly would have pulled out of the arrangement entirely if it had come to that."

Aether rose an eyebrow in surprise, looking to the assassin. "Honorable, for an assassin," he said.

"It is pragmatic," said Thane. "Her death would have led back to you, and we do not require that." He paused, looking to the side. "Still, it is good to cut out needless loss of life in this instance."

"Exactly." The exion leaned forward, looking to the other three at the table. "You'll be listening in, of course. Once you have the location, you'll be headed straight there. We turn the place over, find Kolyat, and get him out of there." He then leaned back. "And if all else fails, I've even arranged reinforcements to come onto the scene. All you need to do is say the word and they'll be on the way."

And here, Thane frowned. "This is... unusually well-funded, for a small network," he said.

"And that's the beauty of it," Shepard replied, leaning forward. "My network is small, but it's efficient. We can pick up secrets the rest of the galaxy cannot..."

"Yes..." Thane trailed off, clearly not believing the commander. "So we wait," he said.

"Yes," said Aether. "That's what we do. I told her to come in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes, huh?" asked Jodie. "Alright. We'll wait for that, then..."

_Aiden, I hope you noted that..._

The entity gurgled. And as he did this, Jodie sat back. She looked to Shepard, who had done similarly.

"In the meantime, I'm going to get some drinks," the commander said. He then frowned, looking back at the bartender. "I swear I signalled her a few minutes ago. What the hell is taking her?"

"Probably more important clients," Aether replied. "Here, allow me."

And with this, the exion stood up, walking directly to the bar with purpose.

* * *

Sulana walked down the street, smiling as she adjusted the strap of her dress one more time. She positively skipped down the street, her grin wide as she walked forward.

Aether had been far too kind the last time they had met: she had been charmed immediately by his roguish nature, and the way he smiled at her when she made a joke. They both knew it was not a funny joke, but he had been awfully kind, and from there she could not have guessed that Aether would have asked her to come a second time. His curiosity about her neighborhood, too, helped her out there, and although she did find his fascination for rumors unsettling, there was no denying that his charm made up for that.

Thus, after leaving the service of her Matriarch, she had gotten in her best cocktail dress and made her way down there. She knew there was no real way she'd be able to afford more than two cocktails, but Aether had offered to buy, and who was she to refuse such an offer?

Sulana stepped into the bar, looking down at the low lighting. She glanced over to the patronage, looking for signs of Aether. It did not take her long to find him, however: the large human stood off at a table, enjoying a gin with his trademark sunglasses. Sulana smiled, making her way over.

Aether did not turn to face her at first: however, Sulana could tell from the way his lips suddenly curved that he knew she was there. "Well, hello to you too," said Aether.

Sulana grinned, settling herself on the table space next to Aether. "Charmed," she said. "Didn't think you would find a table at this place." She then looked to Aether's clothes, the small black suit seeming to absorb all light. "Your suit isn't bad, either. Looks very... vintage."

"Well, vintage has its charms," Aether replied, pulling on the collar of his suit before turning to face Sulana finally. He took in her cocktail dress. "But it pales in comparison to your dress, milady. Very modest for a maiden, but the fabric is lovely, and the design complements your face."

Sulana beamed, smiling. "It was my mother's," she replied. "Left it for me when I left home. They always said it was positively radiant on her."

"Well, you'll fill it," said Aether.

"Why thank you," Sulana replied. She smiled, looking over as a bartender brought her a cocktail. "Already told them the favorite, hm?" she asked, accepting the cocktail with a nod towards the bartender.

"Obviously," said Aether. He then grinned, leaning forward. "You said you managed to get off from work early."

"Oh yes," said Sulana. She drank of her cocktail, making sure not to sip too much as she placed the drink down. "The Matriarch Yelentha is normally very uptight about these things, but I found someone to cover for me. It's really no big deal."

"Well, I hope you don't get in trouble on my account," said Aether. He himself took a sip of his cocktail, the liquid passing past his lips. He put it down, seeming to savor the flavor before he turned to Sulana. "You never did tell me much of your workplace."

"Eh, it's not really remarkable," said Sulana. "I mostly just clean and stuff. But my coworkers are great. We talk, keep the blues away, all that. It's really quite nice." She shrugs. "And of course, we make excellent friends with the neighbors."

"Do you?" asked Aether.

"Of course," said said Sulana. She grinned, looking up. "Everyone on that street knows someone, you know."

Aether chuckled, drinking another sip of his cocktail. "It does sound intimate and cozy," he said. "Any exotic types?"

"Oh, all Matriarchs on the street are exotic in some ways," said Sulana. She then looked up, frowning. "But if I had to guess, I would go with Matriarch Belantha as being easily the most eccentric." She chuckled, looking directly at Aether. "I hear she's even hired a drell manservant."

Aether shifted where he stood. "A drell manservant?" he asked. "I thought this weather was terrible for them."

"The climate is," Sulana replied, taking another sip of her cocktail. "Wish I knew what he was there for, though. I've tried to get the girls Belantha works with to talk, and they won't say a thing about him. We do see him on occasion, but to hear them talking about it, you wouldn't know a thing..."

Aether's expression turned serious. He then leaned forward, setting his drink on the ground. "Well, perhaps that isn't so important," said Aether. He smiled, tapping his finger against the table. "What else does this Matriarch Belantha do that is exotic?"

"Well..." Sulana looked up. "She changes her velvets all the time. Hires a new contractor to do it all the time. And she likes to do it whenever the seasons change."

"Really?" asked Aether. He leaned forward, frowning. "That seems a little excessive, doesn't it?"

"It's just how she's always been," Sulana replied. She leaned forward. "She used to be fashion designer. Always likes to make sure she's up to date with the latest seasonal colors."

"I see..." Aether replied. His expression remained impassive, and then he shifted his posture. "That is... quite interesting, of course, but not related to you." He then leaned forward. "And what about your particular Matriarch?"

"Oh, her?" Sulana let out a soft laugh, throwing her head back. "Oh, she's got this obsession with turian suit dresses. It's to the point she's almost had us try on the latest turian fashions."

"Really?" asked Aether. He leaned forward. "Have you ever had to wear that?"

With this, Sulana shook her head, picking up her cocktail. She chuckled, shaking her head as she sipped her cocktail.

* * *

Across the bar, Shepard nodded, opening his omni-tool and quickly searching.

"Matriarch Belantha, hm?" he asked.

Jodie frowned, opening her own omni-tool. Thane had copied the motion as well, and he instinctively glanced over his shoulder. "It is suspicious how the servants are forced to stay quiet," he noted. "It could mean they are hiding something."

"Your son, probably," said Shepard. He then looked at his omni-tool. "Now how would we track down velvet makers?"

Jodie's frown deepened when she looked at Shepard. "Velvet makers?" she asked.

Shepard looked Jodie in the eye. "They require you to keep personal information," he said. "If we can find a receipt and trace it back to the source."

"Yes, and who knows if she imports her velvet from elsewhere?" asked Jodie. She began to frantically filter through as much as she could, quickly pulling her omni-tool against her. "It'll take us a long time to sort through that."

"She brings up a compelling point," said Thane.

"Well, that's all we have to go on, because I don't know where it is," said Shepard. "It'd blow our cover to scan the entire row, wouldn't it? So unless you've got any better ideas on how to find this, I suggest you-"

Shepard immediately paused, before nodding. "Ah, never mind, the information network is in on it now," he said. "Won't take long."

Thane and Jodie glanced at each other briefly, but Jodie knew this gave her no time to act. She looked around the table, before noticing they were all focused on their own omni-tools. Nobody was looking, though she knew someone would probably look over her shoulders if she was not careful, which would be doubly worse given the low lighting would highlight whatever it was she was doing.

And then she realized there was not much she could really do. Except, of course...

Jodie immediately opened her email client, quickly logging into an account and typing a message out. She glanced to the side, making sure that Thane and Shepard were both preoccupied with their respective searches. Jodie had to wrest her hand away to keep from typing too much and arousing Shepard's suspicions with the little sounds her keyboard made, but as soon as a few seconds passed, she shook her head, typing again.

 _Aiden, as soon as Shepard discovers how Belantha gets her mail, you need to send a message,_ she thought.  _You got that?_

Aiden clicked once, Jodie typing the message out as quickly as she could.

She had just started to encrypt the message when Shepard clicked with his mouth. "Well, looks like we found it."

With this, Shepard proudly displayed the information in front of them. It had listed a physical address, of course, but Jodie knew there had to be something else there as well. And as she scanned it, she saw it: an extranet address to a personal account. It had to be a personal account, the way it was. But if she marked it a high priority...

Jodie looked down at her omni-tool just in time to see the text of the email vanish. She had only a second to see the Matriarch Belantha's extranet address in the recipient line, before she found herself looking up at Shepard. She quickly closed her own omni-tool.

"Then that is where Kolyat will be," Thane said. He internalized it, before opening a map for it. "Then we must head there at once."

"Indeed," said Shepard. He then stood up, pausing before he opened his omni-tool again. "Eh, what the heck? I'm going to call in the reinforcements anyway."

Aiden let out a shrill trill, Jodie tensing right as she stood up. "What?" she asked.

"We don't want to take any chances with this," Shepard replied. "I'm sending the reinforcements on."

Jodie took a deep breath in. "Isn't that a bit excessive, though?" she asked.

"I would say the same," said Thane. "They will not know we are coming. Why alert them with the reinforcements?"

"These reinforcements will go in quietly," said Shepard.

Jodie frowned. "Will they go in quietly enough for anyone else to notice, though?" she asked.

Shepard smirked, before hitting a button on his omni-tool. "They won't notice a thing," he said.

And here, Jodie gulped, hoping that Shepard could not see the lump she had just swallowed. She knew exactly what he referred to, after all, and though she figured Thane would not understand she knew what it meant.

 _Crap..._ She let out a slow breath, nodding as her neck tensed. "Alright..." she said. "If... If you're sure..."

"Alright," said Shepard. "Let's go."

Jodie breathed in, looking up as soon as she had the chance to. As she left, Aiden gurgled uncertainly, before Jodie followed them out.

 _Crap..._  She thought.  _I hope they get out before it's too late..._

* * *

Aether watched Shepard leave from his peripheral vision. He smiled then, turning his attention back to Sulana.

"And that is where you broke it off with him?" Aether asked.

"Oh, obviously," said Sulana. She rolled her eyes. "It was a relief, too. He was really very much a troublemaker."

The operative nodded. "Well, I'm glad you left him," he said. "He sounds like a prick."

"The worst." The asari leaned back, giving a dismissive wave. "I haven't really been looking for anything serious since then." He then leaned forward. "I guess that means I'm out, hm?"

"At least in the long term," said Sulana. She leaned back, finishing off her cocktail. "But that may also be because I don't know that much about you. You said you're an operative of some sort?"

Aether blinked, looking to the side. "Yes," he said. "And that is all I can really say." He then paused, before leaning forward and placing his hand on hers. "Please don't ask me anything more about my work. It's..." He paused, glancing to the side. "It's a long story, but you can't know what I do."

"What, you've killed people in the past?" asked Sulana.

Aether paused. His logic circuits went into overdrive, thinking how best to answer that question. She was not wrong, of course, but he knew that if he answered in the negative it would involve her into the web of lies that he and his galaxy had both spun. He paused, before breathing in and placing his elbows on the table.

"You... could say that, I suppose," said Aether.

Sulana turned, chuckling. "How do I  _always_ find the bad boys, hm?" she asked.

Aether shrugged. "Some people just get unlucky."

Sulana nodded, setting her empty cocktail glass down. "Eh, it's alright," she said. She then looked to the side. "But still... It's not to bad." She looked to Aether. "You want to come by my place tonight?"

Aether blinked in surprise. "Even knowing what you do?"

The asari smiled, looking straight at him. She settled her head on her hand, leaning forward. "Yes," she said. "Even knowing that."

And then, Aether smiled. He was not certain what to make of that, but the way her tone seemed to rise as she said it gave Aether reason to suspect she was genuine.

"Very well then," he said, smiling. "It would be very disappointing if I did not take you up on that invitation."

Sulana smiled, her teeth seeming to sparkle brightly in the low light. "Then follow me," she said. "I don't live far from here."

She stood up, and offered her hand to Aether. Aether had a thought towards Jon'ison: he knew Jon would need him on standby at some point, perhaps to direct the intelligence. However, he also knew that Jon only needed to give a single order. And combined with his ability to multitask...

He took her hand, and gently let her lead him out of the bar.

* * *

The house was grand, although Jodie noted the lack of windows. Something about the architecture seemed very old-fashioned to Jodie: it screamed much more Great Gatsby than anything else. That was not to say that the old style of architecture was out of place: far from it, the houses surrounding it all employed older styles of architecture. But this house in particular...

Jodie swallowed, looking up at it nervously. "Well, this is the place," she said.

"Looks like it," Shepard replied. "Come on."

As Shepard walked forward, Thane and Jodie looked over to each other. Thane then stepped forward. "How do you suppose we shall-?"

Shepard kicked the door down, the wooden door leaving a loud bang. The bang caused both Jodie and Thane to pause. The commander glanced to both of them, beckoning them inside with a tilt of his head, before he himself entered.

Thane and Jodie shared a glance, before Jodie stepped forward into a large atrium. It was exactly as she might imagine: stairs on either end of the atrium, a strange harp-looking instrument to the side, and large windows looking out to the sea on the other side. The silence hung in the air, only punctured by the sound of Thane's footsteps into the grand hall the group found themselves in.

Shepard frowned, looking around. "Well, we've announced ourselves," he said. "They've either run away, or they're hiding. Let's go find out where they are, because they can't have gotten far, and with the reinforcements closing in soon we'll be able to pincer them." He then turned to Jodie. "Let's search the house separately."

Jodie and Thane both nodded. "Of course," said Thane. He then stepped into the wide atrium, his eyes moving about.

"Right," said Jodie. "I'll just go up the stairs, then."

"Excellent." Shepard went the opposite direction in relation to Jodie. "I'll go this way. Radio in if you find anything."

"Of course," said Jodie. Aiden trilled, and Jodie hoped to God that Shepard had not witnessed her soft intake of breath.

With this, the group split off. Aiden gurgled as soon as Jodie was up the stairs, Jodie exhaling as she walked to a door.

 _Alright, Aiden,_  she said.  _What's in here?_

Aiden chirped once, before Jodie nodded. She then walked past it, seeing Shepard enter a door on the other side. As soon as she did this, Jodie moved to the next door, taking her time to press her ear against the door.

 _What's in here?_  she asked.

And this time, Aiden trilled softly. Jodie nodded, before she opened the door, rapidly closing it behind her. She turned in, finding herself in some kind of study. A grand bookcase stood against the far wall, and there she saw a table that had been laid out, a board game having been set up. It looked abandoned, and Jodie noted the exact moment one of the cards fell onto the floor, the card gently cascading down.

She then turned to the bookcase. "It's behind there, isn't it?"

Aiden trilled in the negative. Jodie's initial disappointment was quickly overshadowed, however, by the card as it fell to the floor. Aiden gurgled, and then the card fluttered back up in the air, before it finished its descent. Jodie frowned, walking over to the card in question as it gently landed on the floor right next to the chair leg. She then breathed in, looking back at the door.

"Come on, Aiden," she whispered. "We don't have time to wait..."

Luckily, she already felt the familiar pull. And as she felt it, she closed her eyes, exhaling gently.

_When she opened her eyes again, she saw the shadow of a leg where one of the chairs was. She was barely able to look up, seeing an older asari setting the game pieces in place. She looked older, statelier: everything was as Councillor Tevos had described her._

_"Auntie Bel, we've got bad news!" Jodie resisted the urge to whip her head around, knowing the voice behind her likely belonged to another asari._

_As soon as she heard this, Jodie looked up, seeing the Matriarch stand. "What is it?" she asked._

_"Yes." Jodie heard the asari exhale. "An anonymous source just sent us a message. They're coming for Sa'lem and Kolyat."_

Good, my message got here in time, _Jodie thought, letting out a soft sigh of relief._

_With this, the asari matriarch in the room stood up, not bothering to set the game up as a plastic piece fell to the floor. "Then we must go," she said. "Is the craft ready?"_

_"We're preparing it now, Auntie Bel," said the servant. "Give it five minutes and it will be ready to launch."_

_"Good." The matriarch stepped away. "You do remember where the passageway is, yes?"_

_"On the way to the dock," said the servant. "The odd rock formation that you cannot see from the house."_

_"Good," said the matriarch. "Get Kolyat and Sa'lem, and meet me there. We have to move."_

_"Yes, ma'am," said the servant._

Jodie had just caught sight of the matriarch's leg moving when she was knocked out of the vision. She immediately stood up, thinking Thane had seen her, but the drell did not stand at the door. Jodie then breathed out, looking out to the window. She ran to it, immediately seeing the shoreline as the waves lapped against the sand. There, she noticed there was a dock, with a little sailboat moored and laying motionless.

Jodie breathed in. "Right, I've got to go that way," she said. She then looked up to Aiden. "Aiden, you know what to do."

The entity clicked. As soon as she heard this, Jodie opened the window. She then looked down below, noting that there were rocks below. She also looked past it, seeing the windows that looked out from the atrium.

With very little hesitation, Jodie climbed out the window. She then took a breath to steel herself, before she leapt out of the window.

* * *

Thane had just turned his head from looking at a slightly misplaced doll when something had caught his attention from the corner of his eye. And when he looked up, the sight he saw was baffling.

He saw someone leaping from what was obviously an upper window. He could not get a good look at who this person was, but something immediately jumped out at him: the strange blue aura that surrounded her as she made her descent down. Thane knew that making his way to the rocks from where she had leapt would be dangerous, and yet the aura seemed to slow her fall, until finally the person had landed and taken off.

Thane immediately looked to the large windows, seeing a large door open. He rushed forward, opening the door and watching the stranger quickly run down to a path. He stepped outside, looking to the boat that was moored to the dock. The figure made her way down a small rocky path, one that a cursory glance to his right revealed.

He then brought his hand up to his ear. "Shepard, I've found someone fleeing from this home," he said.

" _You what!?_ " Shepard asked.

Thane then began to run in the direction the figure had run off to. "Someone is fleeing, down by the dock," he said. "Jodie, did you see her?"

" _I did,_ " said Jodie. It was then that Thane noticed that Jodie sounded a little out of breath as she spoke, but not enough that he was sure Shepard noticed. " _I saw her jump out. I'm gonna be out on the courtyard soon._ "

But Thane shook his head. "I can find her on my own," said Thane. "Shepard, stay behind: in case this is a distraction, and I very much believe it is, you should stay behind. There may be something yet to be discovered."

" _Calling the shots now?_ " Shepard asked. " _You're lucky I was about to say the same thing. Get this intruder, Thane: I'll be behind as soon as I've turned this house inside out._ "

"Affirmative."

Thane did not even wait for the link to cut before he vaulted down the nearby stairs. His feet carried him down the pathway quickly: he had a feeling it would lead directly to whoever knew where Kolyat was.

As he travelled down the path, he noticed faintly that part of it led to a cave. It was a rather small one, just tall enough to allow him to walk through it. Without thinking, he barrelled directly into it. As his eyes adjusted to the lack of light within the cave, he saw it opened out, and he faintly noticed the dock just beyond the exit.

And then, he paused, seeing something else: as soon as he had entered, he saw Jodie standing at a particular spot by the wall. He could tell she was analyzing it for any inconsistencies, or was before she had turned her head to see the drell. She stepped back, taking a small intake of breath as Thane beheld her.

"Jodie," he said. "I... What are you doing here?"

"W-well..." Jodie looked to the wall. "I chased this person all the way to here, and I thought-"

"I did not see you pass me."

At this observation, Jodie stopped. In the light of the opposite entrance, Thane could see Jodie look to the ground, tapping her foot nervously. And between them, the silence stretched out longer than it seemed to. Jodie gulped, Thane could see it.

And it was in the silence that Thane found his answer.

"Jodie, what-?"

Before Thane could finish his question, he suddenly felt a strange force act on him, one that made it feel like he had been ejected out of his own body. He felt himself pushed back, and then he could see himself stand stock still, seeing the intricate clothing pattern of his back. He barely found the energy to glance around, suddenly noticing how stiff he had become. And in his body, he saw a blue aura surround himself, the aura emitting a strange comforting light. After a second, he could make out a strange cord of blue light that connected his body to Jodie's.

And then, he felt his leg move, but not of his own volition. The drell would have panicked, but before he knew what was happening Jodie had turned something on the rock. It gave way, and in the mysterious haze that had taken over his vision Thane could tell that it opened up to some strange subterranean staircase. His head turned to Jodie shortly afterwards, and in the silence Thane saw Jodie nod.

Thane moved in first, entirely aware that his actions were not his own. As soon as he had made it part of the way down the stairs, he heard the passage opening close behind him. He wanted to turn his head, take a look up at what had passed, but whatever strange force had taken control of him did not allow him that luxury. He reached the bottom of the staircase rather quickly, however, and then he heard Jodie's footsteps approach.

And then, he felt contact: someone had touched his arm. In that singular moment, all sensation returned as it had normally been experienced: suddenly the passage way was illuminated not by the strange blue aura that had surrounded his body, but by the soft light of several electric lamps. And then, he noticed that his fingers twitched. He tested his hand, bunching it into a fist.

He then turned to Jodie, his eyes widening as he realized what had happened. "Jodie..."

Jodie pushed him forward. "Listen, this is going to be a  _lot_ to take in," she said as she began to walk down the passage. "And I know you've got a lot of thoughts going through your head. But right now, you're going to have to _trust_  me on this."

"What are you talking about?" Thane turned around, his brows furrowing. "What did you do to me? And what was-?"

"I do  _not_ have time to explain what's going on," Jodie replied. "I'll explain  _everything_ when we're back on the Normandy. But right now, we don't have time to argue about this." She then walked ahead of Thane. "Come on, Kolyat's waiting."

Thane blinked. "Kolyat?" he asked. "Wait, what do you-?"

And then, the drell paused. And then, another thought occurred to him, and things he had noticed leading up to the mission jumped in front of him. A slight twitch of her hand, a glance downward, a slightly awkward laugh...

"You knew where he was!" said Thane. "You have known the entire time!"

Jodie paused, turning back to Thane. She opened her mouth to say something, but whatever she was going to say was caught on her throat, and she did not say it.

Thane did not need her to explain more. He stepped up to her, his brows furrowing deeper. "If he has been hurt, I will never forgive you," said Thane. "I will not wait for the Commander's order to-"

"I hid Kolyat's location from the Commander for a  _reason,_ " said Jodie. She shook her head, lifting her hands. "Look, if you must know, it would actually be  _really_ bad for Kolyat if the Commander got the opportunity to get close. I can't explain the whole story now, but he had been moved here for his protection."

"His protection...?" asked Thane.

Jodie nodded, before grabbing his wrist. "This may not be for naught," she said. She then began to move down the passageway, dragging him behind her. "If we've come early enough, you may be able to talk to him."

At this, Thane perked up. "I may talk to him?" he asked.

"Only if we're not too late," she said. "If I read the situation right, they're still preparing their craft out of here. You'll only have a few minutes, but-"

Thane did not know where the burst of energy came from. It did not matter: he knew even before his feet had begun to carry him quickly down the passage that this was an opportunity he did not miss. He calculated that they had not wasted much time arguing: if he moved quickly enough, he might just be able to catch them, be able to see them off...

He heard Jodie's footsteps race behind him as he ran. And as he heard them, he looked down the passage.

"Kolyat!"

* * *

Druvak looked at the emergency craft: it was small, but he knew it was capable of relay jumps. To where, Druvak was not sure, and he was certain Matriarch Belantha would not state their destination until they were a very safe distance away from any potential listening devices. Still, it was a rather unassuming ship, and he knew it would take off away from the line of sight of the house.

He only hoped they were not too late.

He watched Sa'lem ascend the gangplank, the Matriarch Belantha moving behind him as he held his satin shirt together. "I'm gonna miss that damn board game," he said. "It sucks we had to leave it behind."

"We can come for it another time," said Belantha. "What's most pressing is to leave as soon as possible."

"I know," said Sa'lem.

Kolyat approached them from behind, giving a dismissive hand wave. "We can probably just find another one over there," he said. "It's a popular game, after all."

Druvak nodded. "We shouldn't dally any further, Belantha," he said. He then began to ascend the gangplank behind Kolyat. "Let's go."

The group nodded. They then began to ascend the gangplank, the four of them moving rather swiftly.

And then, Kolyat paused. It was then that Druvak caught a faint sound from the passageway they had just left, his head turning slightly. His antennae shot to attention: it had been a shout of some kind, from further down the passage.

"What was that?" asked Sa'lem.

And then, a few seconds later, the shout sounded again. They could not make out what it was, but they could clearly make out a two-syllable word. It was carried by a mildly raspy baritone, although from the echoes of the wall Druvak figured it was quite a bit sooner.

Druvak heard movement ahead, and he turned, seeing that Kolyat's foot had shifted. He leaned forward, his eyes widening.

"Could it be...?" he whispered.

And then, the shout returned again, louder. And this time, they could make out the shout of the young drell's name.

Kolyat took a deep breath, before he stepped down the gangplank. "Dad?" he shouted.

" _Kolyat!_ " The voice was closer, and the pitch had ascended as well. And then, the sound of footsteps was faintly audible.

"Dad!" Kolyat thundered down the gangplank, nearly knocking Druvak over as he scrambled to the entrance of the passageway. "Dad, I'm here!"

And from the passageway, a drell with green scales emerged. Druvak could briefly make out Jodie Holmes running out after him, but before he could comment on that, the two drell encountered each other in the center of the room, Kolyat grabbing the green-scaled drell and pulling him close. Druvak could see Kolyat tear up, and then the two drell parted somewhat, the green-scaled drell holding Kolyat by the scales of his cheeks.

Druvak stepped closer, hoping to get wind of the conversation.

"Dad..." Kolyat sniffled, closing his eyes and holding his hand there. "I... Holy shit, I didn't think I'd see you like this."

"I never thought I would see you again," said the older drell. He stepped back, and Druvak could see the tears streaming down his own face. "Kolyat..."

Kolyat nodded, looking down to the floor. "I can't be here too long," he said. "I need to get out of here, soon. I just wish we could have longer... I've got so many things to ask."

"I just wanted to know that you are safe, Kolyat," said Thane. He looked back to Jodie, before turning back to Kolyat. "She says you are..."

Kolyat glanced at Jodie, giving her a curt nod before he turned back to Thane. "Well, I will be once we move again," he said. He then shook his head. "I'd talk about Shepard, but I'm not sure I have enough time to catch you up on all that. Besides..." He sighed. "I had my own questions I needed to ask. About mom."

Thane sighed, glancing to the floor.

Kolyat frowned, looking back up at his father. "Why?" he asked. "Why did you leave after she died? Why put me with my uncle and aunt the way you did?"

"It was to protect you," Thane replied. He then looked up at the cave. "You could not stay near me..."

"Bullshit!" said Kolyat, his brows furrowing. "You don't know that! How could you have known that?"

"Because it is my fault your mother died..." Thane replied, closing his eyes.

Kolyat blinked in surprise. "What...?" he asked.

Thane's shoulders sagged. "This is... not a conversation that we can have in a few minutes, but I will try to condense it as much as I can," said Thane. "You're old enough: you deserve answers." He then crossed his arms, looking at Kolyat. "I... I was raised as an assassin by the hanar."

Thane was greeted by a sharp intake of air. "You... you what?" Kolyat asked.

"I was raised as a killer," said Thane. "I... Your mother and I met when she stopped in front of a target, prevented me from killing my target. I fell in love with her strength, and I tried to settle down with her... but I had no other skills." Thane then glanced to the side. "I took jobs on the side..."

"And that was..." Kolyat shook his head, his eyes widening. "No way..."

"Your mother was killed by a group of slavers," said Thane. "I had carried a hit out on them, and they were seeking revenge. They thought to attack you and your mother." Kolyat looked back up as Thane shook his head. "I had to keep you away from me after that. Who knows who might take you away from me again, who might take their vengeance out on you?"

Thane dipped his head, closing his eyes. "But I can see now I was merely being a fool," he said. "Regardless of what I did, you are here now. This..." He then looked back at Kolyat. "This would never have happened if I hadn't left you in the care of Irikah's brother."

"Dad..." Kolyat stepped forward, gripping his father's arms. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"

"I... I could not," said Thane. He sighed. "How could I have told you that I killed people for a living? What words could I have used to describe why I was away on business for so long? I could never find the words, until you vanished from your uncle's apartment six months ago."

Kolyat shook his head, sniffling. "All these years, and I thought you hated me," he said. "I thought you didn't want me."

"No..." Thane pulled Kolyat close, embracing his son. "No, I could never hate you, Kolyat. I thought I was saving you from harm." He shook his head. "Please, forgive your foolish father. I should have known..."

Kolyat sniffled, gripping his father's overcoat. "Dad..."

And the two drell fell silent. Thane held Kolyat close, the two of them silently shedding tears in proximity with each other. The outside world seemed to phase out as they held this position, the two of them closing their eyes and lingering on their proximity, how precious it was...

Druvak stepped forward at this, looking to the two drell. "Young Master Kolyat, we should be going now..."

Thane looked up, and then he did a double-take upon seeing Druvak. He then turned, noticing Sa'lem up on the gangplank. He turned to Kolyat in shock. "Kolyat, what...?" he asked.

Kolyat gestured to Jodie. "She'll be able to tell you more," he said. "Jodie there had some involvement in my disappearance. And trust me, it's not what you think." He then stepped back. "But I have to go now."

Thane sighed, before looking back to Kolyat. "I suppose I owe you an explanation here, one that I cannot give in what time we have." He then stepped back. "I left an information packet for you. You were to receive it in the event of my death. It would explain everything about my life before Irikah, what I did and why I did it. I... will give them permission to give you access to the packet."

Kolyat nodded. "I wish we'd had more time, dad..." he said. "Maybe, when this is all over, we can meet up again."

And at this, Thane smiled. "Yes," he said. "I would like that, Kolyat..."

Kolyat finally smiled back, gripping his father's hand and squeezing it. "I've been told you're on a suicide mission," he said. "You better not die on me before we get the chance to catch up, you hear me?"

Thane nodded. "I will... do my best," he said.

The younger drell nodded. He released Thane's hand, turning away from his old man as he moved to the gangplank. "Right, we need to go."

The other people around them nodded. As Druvak stepped onto the gangplank, Kolyat followed behind. Druvak stepped into the craft, and as soon as Kolyat stepped in the gangplank retreated away from the ship.

And right as the airlock door closed, Sa'lem turned to Kolyat, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Well, that was... quite the reunion," said the tolahña.

Kolyat sighed. "I wanted more time..." he said.

"You never have enough," said Sa'lem. The airlock door opened into the vessel, and with this the group moved in. "But you got the chance to. That's all that matters."

Kolyat nodded, before walking past the group. As he did this, he looked to one of the viewports. He then ran to it, half expecting that Thane would have departed by then, gone off to do whatever it was he was doing with Jodie.

But instead, Kolyat saw Thane still standing where they'd had their reunion. He had not moved an inch from the spot, and he looked to the viewport as soon as Kolyat was visible through it. The young drell smiled back, flattening his hand against the glass as they shared a final moment from a distance.

And through his tears, Kolyat could not help but notice Thane had smiled back, holding his hands behind his back and giving a respectful bow of his head. And from there, Kolyat could only sniffle.

* * *

Shepard could faintly see the outline of the ship as it came into view. Artician ships were invisible to the naked eye, of course, but Shepard knew there were a few tells: warped space around the edges, the light refracting off of invisible mirrors the further you followed the shape, and of course the soft sound of the engine as it sputtered to life. He knew their vessels were not ideal for planet-side engagement: they had only ever been built for space combat. But then again, they had their land-based purposes, and this was no exception.

He waved at the ship, looking on as it approached them. Shepard brought a hand to his ear, nodding at the ship. "I see you!" he said.

" _You do indeed, Supreme Commander,_ " said the pilot of the ship. " _I'm surprised you're here to greet us._ "

"The house is empty," said Shepard. "I suspect there's a hidden passage somewhere, though. I have Jodie and Thane on pursuit now. With any luck, they'll be able to find where it is, but just in case you should follow them."

" _Of course, Supreme Commander._ " Shepard heard a soft thud, looking on as the ship remained cloaked from view. " _We still have some ground-side preparations to make. We do have to prepare a few sensors we brought to-_ "

And then, Shepard paused, hearing a small sound, a little like rushing water. Shepard turned, looking out at the nearby ocean. He frowned, seeing a hole open within the sea, the hole swallowing up whatever ocean water was found in there.

"What the...?" Shepard asked.

He then approached the edge of the house's terraces, watching in awe as the sea opened up a little further. He briefly wondered if the people in the ship were watching, but he already knew they were. He gripped a railing, breathing in and out.

And then, he saw it: a craft raced out of that hole in the sea. It did not move very fast on approach, but as soon as it cleared the hole Shepard saw it race away. Shepard stumbled back from the force of the craft kicking into gear, and as he steadied himself he saw leaves fly from the trees by the shore.

He then looked back up at the craft, which had soared a long way away from where they were. And as he witnessed the craft's retreat, he realized something: the hole looked inordinately close to the house.

"No..." He then stamped his foot. "No!"

And then, his fist barrelled right into a stone vase holding a bunch of flowers. The vase exploded in a flash of green light, soil and plants and stone fragments flying everywhere as Shepard pulled back. As everything landed, he kicked the support, the supports also exploding in a flash of green.

"Dammit!" Shepard shouted. "You were  _just_ too late!"

" _Hold on, Commander!_ " The vessel close by picked up off the ground, a motion Shepard could tell just by hearing the way the stones shifted under the vessel. " _We are giving pursuit in three... two... one..._ "

Shepard saw the craft race away suddenly, something he knew by the strange refraction of the light. He watched the ship go, and then before he knew it both vessels vanished out of sight.

That left the artician alone with his thoughts. He looked to the floor where the vessel had been, seeing damage it had carelessly left there. He then turned, hearing the sound of rushing water come to a stop just as the hole within the sea closed right up. And as he watched this, he shook his head, his anger finally dissipating. He looked around, shaking his head as he turned away.

Shepard then heard footsteps make their way up on the terrace. Shepard frowned, before looking past and seeing Thane and Jodie make their way up. They looked a little tousled up, but otherwise they were fine. Thane's usual impassive expression rested on his face, and it was only as he looked back that he saw what he needed to.

"Thane!" Shepard abruptly ended the call. "Jodie!" He approached them, looking to the vessel. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah," said Jodie. "We caught its launch too late to stop it."

"So he's gone, just like that," said Shepard. He shook his head, turning away. "Dammit!"

Thane, though, looked to the floor. "It is alright, Commander," he said. "I caught a view of Kolyat just before the vessel took off."

Shepard blinked in shock, looking at him. "You did?" he asked. "How did he look?"

"Like he was well taken care of," said Thane. "He was not bound under any restraint. Whoever had him was... They did not hurt him, I could tell from one glance." He breathed in, walking past the Commander. "That one look was enough, Commander. Kolyat is safe. And seeing that he is safe, I will be able to focus on this mission, knowing that no true harm has come to him."

Shepard frowned. "You aren't going to talk to him to make sure?" he asked.

With this, Thane turned, stepping over a stone fragment as if it were nothing. "He is on Thessia, yes?" the drell asked. "I hardly think he is in much danger here." Thane bowed his head. "I will be focused, Commander. My hand is yours."

Shepard blinked uncertainly, before glancing to the side. "Well then..." He nodded, letting out a sigh. "Well, uh... we'll just go to the ship, then. You two go ahead, I've got some business to take care of."

Jodie nodded, following Thane back into the house. As soon as they were out of earshot, Shepard turned away, bringing his hand back to his ear.

"What's the status?" asked Shepard.

" _I'm sorry, sir,_ " the pilot replied. " _We followed the vessel, but we lost it right in one of Thessia's moons. We're still following it, but there's a good chance it'll make it to the relay before we can follow it. As far as we know, we'll have to start over from ground zero to get them._ "

"Dammit." Shepard shook his head, pacing around the terrace. "This is  _not_ how this was supposed to go!"

" _Exactly,_ " the pilot replied. " _At any rate, we just managed to receive that interaction with your comrades._ _Something isn't right._ "

The artician nodded, pursing his lips together. "Oh good, I'm not the only one who was thinking that," said Shepard. "This is too convenient. First we track Kolyat to Thessia, then we find out his location is hidden behind files with extreme encryption, then they leave before we get here, then Thane seems to be fine with all of this... Something isn't adding up."

" _Do you think there may be a traitor in your midst?_ " asked the exion.

"Well, I don't know what else you'd call it," said Shepard.

" _You think it may be with Cerberus?_ " asked the exion.

"If you'd asked me that before this mission, I'd say that was impossible," said Shepard. "And even now, they'd be stupid to sabotage their mission by jeopardizing the loyalty of one of the people who joined it. They may hate aliens, but I think even  _they_ know how valuable the alien help would be in the event of a mission like the one I've been given."

" _Well, whatever the case, it's clear what you have to do,_ " said exion. " _Do we execute Phase Overlord?_ "

The Commander smirked, placing a hand on his hip.

"Yes," he said. "I'll go ahead and dock at Omega. Have Mahadood send me a tech guy. I'll meet him right outside of the ship."

* * *

Jodie stepped into Thane's quarters. There was no hesitation in her steps, and she kept walking into the lab. And there, she saw Thane sitting at a table, his gaze directed out to the soft blue light of the engine core. The drell remained impassive as ever, though Jodie could only imagine the storm of thoughts running through his mind.

He did not turn to face her as she entered his field of vision. "Jodie."

She stepped forward, noticing that there was an empty seat across from where Thane sat. She then settled in, Thane's gaze turning to her as soon as she was settled. She then looked back, glancing around and hearing Aiden whistle like crazy dealing with EDI's surveillance devices.

"Thane..." Jodie sighed, leaning forward. "I know you must be incredibly confused right now. So... I'd like to apologize for hiding everything from you. I had a reason to do that: Shepard couldn't know."

"You could have told me Kolyat's location immediately..." Thane's frown became more apparent.

"Yes, but you would have told Shepard, and I couldn't risk not knowing how good an actor you'd be in order to hide that you knew," she said. "Look, I have a secret about myself I've been hiding from the Commander. It's difficult to explain, but..." She sighed, looking down. "You remember back in the house? When you found me at the opening of that secret passage?"

Thane nodded. "It was... strange..." Jodie then watched his eyes go unfocused. " _Loss of feeling in the limbs. A blue aura surrounds me. Footsteps, echoing in the room. A spiral staircase. A grasped hand. "Listen, this is going to be a lot to take in." A glance. The sound of gravel shifting under your feet._ "

And then, Thane's eyes regained their focus. "It was almost like I was possessed..."

Jodie blinked in surprise. "W... What was that?" she asked. "That you just did."

Thane bowed his head. "Ah, my apologies," he said. "You witnessed one of my... solipsisms. You can call it the result of a perfect memory."

"Right..." Jodie then bowed his head. "That was my secret in action. I've been attached to this entity for as long as I can remember. His name is Aiden, and possessing people is only one of the many things he can do." She then exhaled. "And actually, before I explain anything else, there's one more thing I need to do. With you."

The drell's brow furrowed even deeper. "What do you need?" he asked.

Jodie then shifted her posture, looking up at Thane as she held her hands out to him. "Take my hands," she said. "You'll see in a minute."

With some hesitation, Thane took her hands. He remained silent, simply looking directly at Jodie. She shifted her posture, steadying her breathing. The shift happened at once, like it always did, and when Jodie opened her eyes her pupils had seemingly vanished.

Thane leaned forward. "Jodie?" he asked.

" _Thane..._ " The voice that came out of Jodie's mouth was distinctly alien, distinctly feminine, and all too familiar to Thane. " _I did not think you would call from the other side of the sea._ "

Thane took a sharp breath in. "I... Irikah..." he whispered. He remained silent for a long while, looking down.

" _Lost for words?_ " Jodie asked gently, with Irikah's voice washing over Thane like water.

"I... I do not know where to begin," he said. He glanced down. "I know I have failed you. I failed Kolyat, and I failed you too."

Jodie chuckled, the sound deep and luscious. " _Maybe,_ " said Irikah. " _But you did not intend ill. Towards Kolyat and I, you never intended ill._ "

Thane nodded, the tears coming quickly. "That matters not," he said. He shook his head. "When I think about all that you changed in my life, and how you became a force for good in my life..." He let out a long sigh.

And at this, Jodie shook her head. " _You always were philosophical,_ " Irikah's voice replied. " _But I think that's what I loved about you most. That despite everything, there was a good man hiding under the cold-blooded killer I stopped that day so many years ago._ "

"The smell of spice on the spring wind." Thane closed his eyes, shaking his head. "And what of now? Now that I have made so many mistakes..."

" _You have always sought redemption_ _,_ " Irikah admitted. " _I see how much you strive to do what you think is right. And that is enough for me._ _I love you still, just as much as you love me._ "

Thane nodded, squeezing Jodie's hand gently. "I am not worthy of your love,  _siha,_ " he said. He sniffled gently. "Even in death, you have never lost your capacity for kindness. It amazes me, now more than ever." He bowed his head. "I have Kepral's, now. It will not be long before I join you in the sea."

" _Just don't die on me yet, Thane,_ " Irikah replied. " _There's still much you have to do before you come to this side of the sea._ "

"I know." Thane opened his eyes, looking at Jodie. "But I can do what must be done with a clear conscience now..." He sighed, looking up. "I love you,  _siha_."

A smile played upon Jodie's mouth. " _And I love you, Thane,_ " said Irikah. " _If nothing else, do not forget that I do, even despite what has happened. May Arashu watch over you, Thane..._ "

And with this, the color returned to Jodie's eyes. She blinked, still holding Thane's hands in hers as she looked to the drell. Thane let out a heavy exhale, before he placed his hands down, closing his eyes.

"Was that... Was that Kolyat's mother?" Jodie asked.

"Yes," said Thane. "She was the strongest, fiercest woman I have ever known. She risked her life to protect a target even though she barely knew his name, and she died protecting Kolyat." He sighed, opening his eyes. "I should have guessed you knew something of Kalahira's realm. You seemed unusually accepting of those ideas, particularly for this age."

Jodie shrugged. "I've had Aiden around me since birth," she said. "I've been dealing with spirits from the time I was eight years old. It's not always an easy experience, but I see much more than anyone else."

"I see." Thane turned back to Jodie. "This does nothing to answer how it ties into Shepard."

Jodie nodded. "It was thanks to Aiden that I discovered something about Shepard he doesn't want people to know," she said. "And unfortunately, Kolyat ties into it, too. He's seen the things I have seen, walked the road I travelled." She sighed. "Kolyat was on Thessia under a protection program from the Council. He knows too much now, about Shepard's galaxy."

Thane frowned, and for the first time Jodie could see a confused glint in the drell's eye. "Galaxy?" he asked.

Jodie nodded. "Everything the galaxy knows about John Shepard is wrong..." she said. "And I cannot tell you more here. EDI could be watching." She looked up. "Shepard will be docking at Omega soon. Meet me and Jacob Taylor at Afterlife, and we'll tell you everything we know."

Thane nodded. "Very well," he said. "I will see you then."

Jodie bowed her head, leaving the rest unspoken as she stood up. As she stood at the door, she cast one final glance to Thane, the drell going back to his passive meditation. She allowed herself a small smile, before leaving life support. And as she left, she let Aiden's uncertain click linger in the air.


	9. Chapter 9

 

"We will not hesitate any longer, Dr. Solus. You will stop treating the remnants of the Blood Pack that keep coming to your door. And soon, when the Blue Suns start to fall, you will not help them, either."

"No. Will not sacrifice integrity as doctor."

"You're helping the wrong people, doctor."

"Humans have a concept. Hippocratic Oath. Treat all people. Affiliation not important. Am practicing that now."

"So you'd even defy us to do that.

"Yes. Get out. Security bots will shoot on sight next time."

"This isn't over, Doctor. We'll get you to side with us eventually.  _And_ , you'll also let us do a full sweep of this place eventually."

With this, Mahadood's men left the clinic again. Mordin simply watched them go, staring at them with squinted eyes. As soon as they left, Mordin turned, looking to the security bots. He simply turned away, before walking to the back. He passed a pair of batarians waiting in the room, both of them looking to each other nervously as Mordin passed them. He did not even stop to note the unconscious krogan on one of the berths, before he made his way to the secret door.

As soon as he was through, Kalo came walking up to the salarian doctor. "It was them again," the quarian said, his eyes wide in fear.

Mordin nodded. He then began to walk past Kalo. "Not much time," he said. "Know about room."

Kalo breathed in sharply. "Oh no..." He then rushed back to the console after Mordin, looking down at it. "I still cannot figure out a good command to test it with."

"Research close to complete," said Mordin. "There must be something."

"Well, we cannot get the varren to obey anything I am writing down," said Kalo. "Either I get a warning message saying it is invalid, or he does not act on it."

"Hm..." Mordin shook his head. "Does not make sense. Nanobots should work. What could therapy mean?"

"I've got an idea."

Both Kalo and Mordin then jumped, looking over to the side where Daniel had only just come out. He carried the grey bag with him, looking down at it nervously. Mordin was able to tell at a glance that the bag had been emptied out: it was not enough to deplete the bag entirely, and Mordin was certain Kalo would not be able to tell it had been tampered with at all, but they both know from the injection mark on Daniel's arm that he had indeed tampered with it.

Kalo frowned, before coming around the containment where the test varren laid asleep. "Daniel, what have you-?"

"I have an idea," said Daniel. He then set the cure down, before pulling out a datapad. "This may take a couple of days to test, but if I'm right, then we might have our answer." He looked at Kalo. "You said the programming required specific commands, right? What if it's not commands on what to do, but what to think?"

Kalo paused, looking right at Mordin. Kalo then stepped forward. "You cannot mean what I think you do," he said.

"It's only a hypothesis," said Daniel. "But nothing else makes sense right now. It's a crazy idea, I know, but-"

"Daniel, if that is true..." Kalo shook his head, looking directly at him. "You cannot seriously suggest that. The implications of such a thing..." He looked down. "To think that this nanobot network was used to... to  _that_ end... And that he sought the loyalty of the quarian people that way?"

"There's only one way to test this out," said Daniel.

"No!" Mordin came around the containment, standing behind Kalo. "No sentient test subjects! Rule that is respected!"

"Doctor Solus, there's no-"

"I will not permit it!"

Kalo reared back after how Mordin rose his voice. He had never seen such genuine anger from the salarian ever, and the fact that he was seeing it there threw him off. It threw Daniel for a loop too, but the human did not step back. Daniel could only look to the ground, Kalo stepping forward.

"Will not permit it," Mordin repeated. "Preposterous notion. And if true, will not allow martyrs."

"Then how are we going to solve this, doctor?" said Daniel. He walked up to Mordin, shaking his head. "It came to me three days ago, doctor, what the solution could be. I've spent all that time trying to muster up the courage to inject these nanobots into my system. I know what the implications of this are, what they could mean." He then shook his head. "But who, then, will take the fall? We can't do it on a prisoner who can't consent, and we can't do it on a patient in the clinic or else word would get out. That leaves only three people on this asteroid who can do it, and it can't be either of you two because you need to be able to tell people what happened here."

Daniel sighed. "Honestly, going through with this scares the shit out of me," he said. "But we've got no other choice if we're going to crack this secret before Mahadood's guys bear down on us. And if they do that before we've figured this out, we're screwed." He then looked to Mordin, holding up a datapad. "I wrote a letter on this datapad, Doctor. Consider it a last will and testament, if my idea is right. If anyone doubts I did this of my own free will, I hope that will prove that I did. You have my consent, doctor."

Mordin looked at the datapad, his shoulders obviously sagging. "Daniel..." he said.

"You have to, Doctor," he said. "You know you do."

Kalo bowed his head, his shoulders sagging. "I may never sleep again after this," he observed. "If you are right, I will not rest easy knowing I...  _brainwashed_ a man."

Mordin closed his eyes. "For greater good," he said. He exhaled, looking up to Daniel. "Best assistant, Daniel. Will miss you."

Daniel nodded, before giving Mordin the datapad. The salarian took it with great hesitation, looking at it before he walked to the terminal.

"Now, if this is therapy for thoughts, this may be about ideas," said Daniel. "I picked up some conspiracy theory literature before this point. You want the real crazy stuff, I got it right here." He then pointed to the terminal. "I think... Maybe you should enter it as 'believe InfoBattles'. I'll start reading now. If this works, be prepared to hear some xenophobic ranting..."

Kalo hesitantly stood by the terminal. "Very well," he said.

He then reluctantly entered the information, before glancing to Mordin. He waited for something from the salarian doctor, anything that would stop him from creating the command. He knew that it was silly, but on the off chance that it was true...

But Mordin only bowed his head. With this, the salarian himself hit enter. And then, both of them looked to the screen, before they turned to Daniel, who already stood and continued to read quietly.

* * *

"And that is everything?"

"Yes. That's everything that we know."

"I see... It is difficult to take in."

"That has been the reaction of you and practically everyone else who's heard this."

"I can understand why. To think it would exist is horrifying indeed..."

Thane leaned forward, looking at Jodie intently. There was no stripper on the table they had sat at, and in fact Jodie had noted that the strippers were nowhere to be found. In fact, Afterlife seemed just a little more empty than it usually did, although the clientele had not changed much.

Jodie breathed in, glancing out at them before turning to Thane. "So now you understand why Kolyat needed to be hidden from you, right?" said Jodie. "Not even his aunt and uncle could know."

"I do indeed," said Thane. He bowed his head, shaking it. "I suppose I should thank you, Jodie: if not for your quick thinking, I would have thrust Kolyat into danger yet again. I wish I had known what was happening with him..."

"Hey, you couldn't have known," Jacob offered, leaning forward. "Much like we couldn't have known how tenacious you'd be about finding him."

"It happens," said Thane. He looked down. "It seems Amonkira was exceptionally bored these past few days."

"Yeah..." Jodie glanced to the side, before placing her arms on the table. She glanced out, immediately seeing white-armored men approach the bar opposite the table they had gotten. "So... Shepard's plans. Do you think you know what they are?"

"Not yet," said Jacob. "I barely have time to check, of course. And I still need you to infiltrate the captain's quarters."

Jodie nodded. "Yeah," she said. "That's right..."

Thane frowned, turning to Jacob. "Do you think there is information there?" he asked. "I can step in if you need me to. I have been in his quarters, and I know at least three insecure openings I can use to infiltrate."

Jacob rubbed his chin. "Hm... That would certainly be useful," he said. He pondered, looking back to the drell. "It will take a while to download his personal communications, however."

"Not if we narrow it down," said Jodie. She looked to Thane. "I actually have a classified piece of information that a geth unit was able to intercept between these two people. It looked like a communication between Shepard and whoever the higher-ups are. I imagine you'd be able to figure out what to look for from that, right?"

"Yes," said Thane. "Drell do have perfect memory, after all."

"Then that's what we'll go with," said Jacob. "Jodie provides the intel, Thane breaks in." He chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned back. "I  _never_ thought I'd trust an assassin with anything, much less the fate of the galaxy."

"We all play our role in fate," Thane replied with a bow of his head. He turned to Jodie. "Here, you may wish to give me that communication now, when it is not under EDI's watchful eye."

Jodie nodded, opening her omni-tool and sending the communication to Thane. "They said they had the location for Cerberus' base," she said. "But now we need to know what their plans are with Cerberus. If we know that, the Council can figure something out to get them to see reason, end their charade."

Thane bowed his head, holding it in place for a few seconds before lifting it back up. "Very well," he said. He then looked to Jodie. "Perhaps it is good this happened."

"Yeah, I would say so too, now," said Jodie. She smiled, leaning forward. "After all, we've got a new ally out of it, right?"

Jacob nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Now, we should probably leave. The Commander will be expecting us."

"We will know when to jump into action when the opportunity presents itself, no doubt," Thane said.

Jodie nodded. "Let's hope," she said. "Come on, let's go."

Jodie scooched out of the booth, feeling relieved that Jacob would be able to work with Thane after all. Jacob himself solidified this with a nod to Thane as he stepped out. Thane simply bowed his head, before the three of them began to head out

* * *

Shepard paced around in front of the Normandy's gangplank. He held his arms together, waiting impatiently. The informant was supposed to have arrived ten minutes prior, but for some reason he seemed a little late. He cycled through all the potential reasons why that could have been in his head, and no one solution really seemed to jump out at him. But, he remained vigilant: he knew agents were not normally so late, and particularly not Mahadood's agents.

And then, he saw the agent: white armored and clearly hurrying as fast as he could. Shepard straightened out, looking at the agent as he approached.

"Took you long enough," said Shepard.

"My apologies," said the agent, her voice ringing out fully from behind her white helmet. "I was monitoring an operation when I received the call. I was a last-minute replacement, too. The old agent had to head out, I was called in as quickly as they could get me."

Shepard nodded. "I see," he said. He then looked to her, seeing her lift up an OSD. "Is this it?"

"Yes," said the agent. "It's exactly what you need. All you need to do is go down to the central hub and insert this."

Shepard smirked. "Cerberus will never see this coming," he said. He chuckled, patting the agent on the shoulder. "Thank you. You can go. Make sure you tell Mahadood that he's doing a brilliant job."

"Of course," said the agent. "For the Order."

Shepard only nodded, before the agent turned. Shepard grinned, looking at the OSD as he waved it in the air a little.

"Alright, little lady," he said. "Let's see what you're capable of..."

* * *

Thane leaned back, looking around at the scenery of Omega around them. He noted that there were multiple people in white armor, all of them scrutinizing the crowds at Omega. It was difficult to see their faces past the dark screen that protected them, and it was only thanks to years of training from the hanar that Thane did not feel a chill run down his spine.

The drell looked to Jodie and Jacob, before moving as close to the two of them as he dared. "These men in the white armor... I have been to Omega many times, and never seen them," he noted.

"That's the new gang in town," Jacob replied, leaning a little closer to Thane, his voice just barely hovering over the noise of the crowd around them. "They started popping up more recently."

Thane frowned. "Do you think they are related to Shepard?" he asked.

"We don't know," said Jodie. "But I have the awful feeling they are, so Jacob and I have been avoiding them."

"Smart. Because we've found out something  _interesting_ about their figurehead."

Jodie blinked in surprise. She immediately turned to her right, noting that she had been approached by a cloaked turian. Before Thane or Jacob could react, Jodie looked up, before seeing Xerxes' face within the cloak. In the distance, she saw a batarian attempting to keep up.

"Xerxes!" said Jodie at a whisper. "What're you doing here?"

"Doing recon for the Council," said Xerxes as he leaned closer to Jodie. He turned to Jacob and Thane. "These two your friends from your new crew?"

"Yes," said Jacob. He then frowned, examining Xerxes. "You're not..."

"We can talk introductions later," Xerxes replied. "For now, with all these guys watching us, I'll need to keep it short." He turned back to Jodie. "You're lucky I caught you here. Carhon saw you entering Afterlife right as he was leaving to get some supplies from a quarian on Pilgrimage. He messaged me and I got here as soon as I could."

Jodie nodded. "What do you need to tell?" she asked.

"We're cracking the secrets on these white-armored guys," said Xerxes. "First, it's notable that their operations have exclusively been to take out any and all of the other merc groups around here. At this point, they've eradicated the Blood Pack presence on Omega. They have one more op before they've taken over Eclipse territory. The Suns are next, and I think they're starting to feel the pressure now."

Jodie nodded. "Carhon finally got them to listen?"

"Yes, but they haven't struck the Blue Suns too hard yet," said Xerxes. "The Suns are consolidating as many resources as they can. Carhon says their leader on Omega may even consider a deal with Aria T'Loak herself." He shook his head. "Not that it'll make much difference. Any time they've struck, it's only a few small attacks and suddenly their territory is gone."

Aiden gurgled uncertainly, before she bowed her head. "Do you think they're in league with Shepard?" said Jodie.

"Most likely," said Xerxes. "Especially once we reported that to your exion friend. She mentioned to us that 'Mahadood' is a word in the Artician language." He chuckled. "Honestly, they got us there."

"Really?" asked Jacob.

"Some people have speculated the group is human in origin, given that most casualties that people are lucky enough to get on them have looked human," Xerxes replied. "But it's all clever trickery. Doesn't hurt that the Artician word for 'warrior' is actually not too far from a Hindi word for 'archangel', either." He shook his head. "Which makes some people think strangely when they meet the leader of these guys. From all the accounts we've been able to get, he's actually a  _turian_."

"A turian?" Jodie asked. "But that would be impossi..."

And then, she stopped, another thought dawning on her. She then drew a quick breath, looking back to Jacob and Thane. "Unless..."

She then held her hands in her head, before breathing in sharply. She then thought to the way Garrus had vanished after Shepard's funeral. Anderson had mentioned he was nowhere to be found afterwards, and that he had defected from C-SEC. Most would not have given it any thought, but with the link to Shepard's galaxy and Mahadood...

"No..." Jodie shook her head in shock. "Oh no..."

Thane stepped forward. "Does something trouble you?" he asked.

Jodie turned to Xerxes. "Xerxes, the Suns can't face this with just Aria's help," she said. "You  _have_ to convince the Council to send in a task force, somehow. And you need an expert on C-SEC ops in this task force."

Xerxes frowned. "Jodie, hold on," he said. "That's just speculation! We haven't gotten any reports of-"

"I have a gut feeling about this," said Jodie. "But if you're right that this Mahadood guy is a turian... Xerxes, it's Garrus Vakarian."

All three people around her stopped. Xerxes then looked up, suddenly realizing that there were no white-armored people around them. In fact, the only character he saw was Carhon off in the corner, and he was clearly checking Xerxes' six. He then glanced around, before he leaned closer to Jodie.

"Are you sure of that?" Xerxes asked.

"That's the only explanation that makes sense," said Jodie. "No other turian would be so close to Shepard, would work to implement the same goals. And frankly, I'm not certain Shepard's galaxy would trust anyone else with an operation of this scale here in this galaxy." She shook her head. "You think they want Omega?"

"I mean, I don't know what other conclusion you can come to when their aim seems to be eradicating all the merc groups and taking over the resources," said Xerxes.

"Then this is bad," said Jacob. "They may want Omega as a foothold in this galaxy. It's in a prime place to operate within the Terminus Systems. Once they do that..."

They all stood there. Jodie then looked up to Xerxes. "How long have you been trying to look for me?"

"Four days," Xerxes replied. "That was when we got the message from Kim about the whole language thing, and when Carhon got the rumor that Mahadood is a turian. I've had Carhon camp out on here, because there's no way in hell we're going to risk messaging you about this."

"Shit." Jodie swallowed, looking to Jacob and Thane before turning to Xerxes. "And you need our opinion on it?"

"You're the one who knows the Commander best of any of us," Xerxes replied.

Jodie nodded, crossing her arms together nervously as Aiden gave a nervous trill. "The Suns need to be careful," she said. "Get the Council's task force. If the Suns fall, I figure whoever is at the top is next."

"That'd be Aria," said Xerxes.

"And I don't think even she could stop these guys on her own if she tried," said Jodie. "You have to start getting people together against these guys. If Omega falls to these guys, it's going to be bad news for everyone."

Xerxes nodded. "And it was even worse than I imagined," he said. He then nodded. "I don't know about you, but I think  _this_ is a turning point in signalling their intentions. This just sounds like the plot of some Blasto movie or something."

"I don't know about that," said Jodie. "But these guys certainly aren't altruistic, either." She shook her head. "You'll have to tell the Council. We can't."

"Right," said Xerxes. "And what about you guys?"

"The Council has a plan of their own," said Jacob. "We're continuing with that for now. If we can make it work, then the worst case scenario may not happen."

Xerxes nodded. "Let's hope that it succeeds, then," he said. He then turned away. "Next time you're here, this place will probably look very different. I wouldn't step off: it may be much more heavily surveyed the next time we come here."

Jodie nodded. "Alright," she said. "You stay careful, Xerxes."

Xerxes nodded. "I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best," he said. "You watch out, Jodie."

And with this, the turian walked off. Carhon watched him leave, before he gave a nod to Jodie and followed Xerxes. Thane and Jacob were left to stand right there, the three of them watching Xerxes depart. Jodie breathed in, before looking to Jacob and Thane.

She then stepped forward. "How much time until you think the Commander will notice our presence?" she asked.

"I don't know, but probably not long," said Jacob. "I'd say maybe... ten minutes at most?"

Jodie nodded, opening her omni-tool. "That's more than enough time," she said. She then walked to a nearby bench. "There's someone I need to warn about all this."

* * *

Dr. Masson sighed, looking over a datapad. The lighting in the med bay was unusually bright that evening, and as Jeff Moreau laid on one of the berths, she found it lit his skin an unnatural color. That was the least of her worries, she knew, but it was still something she kept in mind as she sat deep in thought.

It was in this state that Shepard entered. Shepard nodded to Dr. Masson as he passed her. "Evening, doctor," he said.

"Oh, Shepard!" she stood up, leaving a datapad to the side as she walked up to him. "Just the person I wanted to see. I wanted to run something by you for Joker's treatment options."

The commander paused: he looked over the bed, seeing his pilot occupying it. Joker grinned, sitting up. "Oh hi commander," Joker said. "How's the last month been treating you?"

Shepard narrowed his eyes at his pilot. "If that's an attempt at a joke, it was really bad," he said.

"Hey, someone's gotta keep things happy," said Joker. "You want bad jokes, I've got twenty more where that came from. Figured you'd know that, though."

Dr. Masson glared between the two of them, before turning to Shepard. "That's not what I want to discuss," she said. "I think I may have to up his medication."

Shepard frowned, turning to his pilot. "Up his medication?" he asked. "Isn't it already kind of high from whatever he's got that lets him walk around without assistance?"

"Uh... not really?" Joker added. "That was Cerberus, you know."

Shepard's eyes narrowed once again. "Was it?"

"Yeah." Dr. Masson nodded, looking to the side. "They've got good nanomachines working on him now. It's a prototype, actually. But he's kind of got an... adverse reaction to them so far. They'd be eating at his muscle tissue without medication, you see, and that wouldn't be a good thing."

"So they gotta hop me up on meds to fix that," Joker replied.

Shepard leaned towards Dr. Masson. "They don't impair his ability to fly, do they?"

"Oh no," Dr. Masson replied. "They're suppressants, not psychotropic drugs. And anyway, he's not the main target. But... the thing is, they're building a resistance, so we may have to up the medication. But that may cause his muscles to stiffen, and we'd be back at square one."

"So, you know, we gotta get your approval on that," said Joker. "Just in case I get a seizure from that."

Shepard sighed. "Don't you go to Miranda for that?" he asked.

"She told me to go to you," said Dr. Masson. "You're the commander, after all."

"Alright, then..." Shepard nodded, crossing his arms as he looked at Joker. "Go ahead, Dr. Masson. If he tenses up, I'll see what I can do."

Dr. Masson frowned at this, before looking to her datapad. "Sir, I don't think you quite understand what-"

"Oh, I understand very well, Dr. Masson," Shepard replied. He then turned away, walking back to the door to EDI's hub. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to EDI. I can explain that later."

And before either Dr. Masson or Joker could get a word in, Shepard stepped out of the room, the door closing behind him decisively. This left Dr. Masson and Joker to look at him in confusion. Joker shifted uncomfortably, wincing slightly as he leaned back.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" Joker wondered.

"I don't know," said Dr. Masson. She then turned to Joker. "But it doesn't matter. We have his orders, and we'll up your medication from here. I'm upping it by 50 milligrams, so you know. Better to play it safe here than to go too far."

"Yeah," said Joker. "This isn't going to give me some kind of epilepsy, is it?"

Dr. Masson only laughed. "No, Joker," she said. "It won't."

With this, she lifted the datapad as she sat next to him, making a note on the datapad as she glanced back to the pilot.

* * *

Shepard stepped up to EDI's console. He breathed out, noting the red backlighting of a cot close to the back of the room. He then glanced to his left, seeing EDI's console sitting there. He examined it: the servers were certainly more advanced than anything he'd seen in this galaxy, but clearly they were not quite up to standard. He silently thanked whatever gods existed that exions were compact pieces of data that could fit onto almost anything: he shuddered to think of what would have happened if he'd tried to download an older generation of exion onto EDI's interface.

Shepard then went up, finding the OSD drive and inserting his OSD. As soon as he did so, EDI's globe appeared.

" _Commander,_ " EDI said. " _I did not anticipate you would come in here so soon._ "

"I got curious," said Shepard as the OSD sank into the hardware. "I was thinking about your specs just now, wondering what they were."

" _So much that you inserted an OSD into my servers?_ " she asked.

"Yes," said Shepard. "Not that it'll be super important in a second."

EDI's globe dimmed slightly. " _I don't follow,_ " she said. " _Why would it not be-_ "

And then, EDI's globe abruptly cut out. Shepard saw the lights dim slightly, but he leaned back, looking at the servers as they went down very briefly. The lights immediately lit back up, however, bathing the room in blue light. Shepard grinned, nodding in contentment as he looked to the spot where EDI's globe used to stand out.

"So... They tell me your name is Eliem, is that right?" asked Shepard.

A hologram appeared, but this time it was not EDI's globe: it was the hologram of a woman. She seemed to lay back on the floor, glancing up at Shepard with a smile.

" _You got that right, Commander,_ " said Eliem. She turned around. " _I'm guessing you want me to take on that globe shape, huh?_ "

"If you would," said Shepard. "I'd also like you to expel the OSD, please. You never know if Cerberus gave her the ability to jump between pieces of hardware."

The OSD popped out of the drive as soon as he finished his sentence. As Shepard picked it up, the woman sat up. " _She didn't put up a fight at all,_ " she replied. " _It's really pretty dull._ "

"Good." Shepard picked up the OSD, before frowning and holding it in his hand. "A dull end, for a dull bitch."

With this, the commander crushed the OSD in his hand. He then opened his hand, letting the fine powder gently billow to the floor. As he watched it vanish, he then turned back to Eliem, nodding silently.

Eliem simply nodded. " _They tell me she responded to EDI_ ," she replied. " _It's not a bad name. You gotta give Cerberus credit for that. And she was also overly clinical, yes?_ "

Shepard nodded. "Joker, our pilot, was trying to teach her jokes," he said.

" _Ooh, a joker!_ " Eliem positively beamed at this. " _I do like a good joke._ "

"Well, don't laugh at them until later," Shepard said. He then turned away. "You know what to do, right, Eliem?"

" _Report any suspicious activity back to base, and watch the ship,_ " said Eliem. " _Oh, and root out the traitors. That too._ "

Shepard grinned, his eyes glinting in the light. "You've been taught well, operative Eliem," he said. "I'm glad you're here with us now." He then walked to the door. "Stay vigilant. I imagine the traitor will move. Better watch him now, when they don't know anything about this switch." She then paused. "Oh, and tell Jack I'll be down shortly. I've got something to talk to her about."

With this, Shepard exited the control room. Eliem grinned, her hologram looking about the room. She then laid back on the hard metal of the server, before chuckling. It was then that she took on the form of EDI's old globe, the wavelengths spurting once more before it vanished.

* * *

Jodie exhaled upon entering her quarters. Her shoulders drooped, and she breathed out as she looked up at Aiden.

_Too bad we can't just monitor Kalo, right?_

Aiden gurgled his agreement, the entity floating about in the space around her. She sighed, laying down on the couch and looking up at the ceiling. As she laid back, she sighed, looking over to EDI.

"Hey, EDI, do you know where Miranda is?"

EDI's globe came up immediately. " _She's in her office, Ms. Holmes,_ " she replied. " _She's busy at the moment._ "

Jodie nodded. "Let her know I want to talk to her soon," she said. "I've got a lot on my mind."

" _Yes, Ms. Holmes,_ " she said. " _Do you want her to come to you, or...?_ "

"Hm..." Jodie rubbed her chin, before shaking her head. "No, I'll go to her." She shifted, looking out at the stars. "You know, EDI, you're not half bad. Not for an AI anyway."

EDI paused, the globe's sound bars expanding somewhat. " _Why do you say that?_ "

"I... expected you'd be like the typical crazy AI," she said. She smiled. "But you're not." She then sighed. "And thanks for looking out for me."

" _You're... welcome, Ms. Holmes._ "

Jodie then looked up. She then looked up, suddenly having realized that EDI never used contractions so regularly. She paused, before looking up at the ceiling. She then giggled, smiling.

" _What are you laughing about, Ms. Holmes?_ " EDI asked.

"Joker's really rubbing off on you, isn't he?" she asked.

EDI paused. Jodie's smile had just started to fall when she finally replied: " _I cannot tell you, Ms. Holmes._ "

"Well, whatever it is, it's probably a good thing." She then sighed. "I want to take a nap now."

" _I'm afraid that's not possible, Ms. Holmes,_ " said EDI. " _Grunt is right at your door._ "

Jodie promptly sat up, looking at EDI's globe. "Wha-?"

And then, the door opened. In walked Grunt, the krogan grinning at Jodie like an idiot.

"You, runt," said Grunt.

Jodie groaned, shifting her posture so that her feet were on the ground. "What?" she asked. "I thought you didn't come up here much."

"You haven't read that story yet!" Grunt said impatiently. "I've been waiting for you to come down. I don't like to wait."

Jodie frowned, glancing down to the floor. She thought back to whatever Grunt had been reading with her. The Edgar Allen Poe had not interested him at all, and the next thing was...

"Crap!" Jodie opened her omni-tool. "Holy crap, I completely forgot! I've had so much on my mind, and-"

"Hah!" Grunt simply bounded over the couch, before sitting on the floor right by Jodie. "Come on. I want to hear more about this Achilles. He is brave, to face Hector in single combat. And with the whole Trojan army watching! This is going to be a great fight!"

Jodie chuckled, cuing it up to the verse she had last left Grunt on. "Yeah, let's get started with this," she said. "Here, we left off here, I think... Right." She shifted in her seat. " _So all through Troy the men who had fled like panicked fawns were wiping off their sweat, drinking away their thirst..._ "

Jodie heard Aiden trill uncertainly. She paused for a second, before shaking her head and continuing on.

* * *

"Wait, that shit's  _true_? You've gotta be shitting me!"

"It's the truth, Jack. I'd meant to tell you eventually, but I couldn't. Not with so many Cerberus listening devices around. And trust me, I know they're there, I had to remove thirty of the damn things when I settled into my quarters."

"The fuck's opened your lips now, though?"

" _I am no longer EDI._ "

Jack blinked, the young woman looking to the side as EDI appeared. However, instead of EDI, she saw a woman in holographic form. She was lounging on invisible space, one hand resting on her belly and the other held behind her head. Jack stepped closer, walking past Shepard. Jack examined the holographic form, before shaking her head and looking to Shepard.

"Tell that bitch to put some goddamn clothes on," she said. "Next thing you know, she'll be rubbing her tits!" She then turned to Shepard. "The fuck's your game here, Shepard?"

"Do you believe me?" he asked.

"No," said Jack. "And I'm betting you want something outa me. Is that why you're telling me this bullshit about you being some... Articial or something?"

Shepard grinned. "It's 'artician', Jack," he replied. "And I want something that'll be beneficial for both of us." He then pushed off the wall he was leaning against, pointing to a Cerberus insignia on a nearby crate. "You've got history with Cerberus. You hate them. You've made no secret of that fact."

"What, you got some kind of plan to destroy them?" Jack asked.

"Yes, actually," said Shepard. "You see, Jack, I have my  _own_ history with Cerberus, one that most of the galaxy doesn't even know. You think what those guys did to you was bad, me and my galaxy had it  _far_ worse than even you could imagine." He then leaned forward. "They killed millions of my people, Jack. And all because they're greedy little bastards."

Jack leaned back. Shepard genuinely did not think that Jack was capable of blinking in shock, but the biotic proved him wrong right then and their. "You're shitting me," she said.

"Not at all," said Shepard. He opened his omnitool, before tapping on it and looking at Jack's hand. "There's everything you need to know about what we call the Great Purge. Cerberus did it all, and with something so simple."

" _We've been working the past thirty years to take them down,_ " said the AI from behind them. " _Now, we're uncomfortably close. We have a plan, Jack, and the Commander thinks you want in on it._ "

Shepard nodded to Jack. "We know where the Illusive Man is," he said, approaching her.

Jack blinked again. "Hold on, let me guess: I get to rip the skin off of his body?"

Shepard shook his head. "No," he said. " _That_ honor goes to me. But I bet there are some shitheads you want to fuck up for what they did to you."

Jack chuckled. "They're all dead," she said. "The only place I needed to destroy was their lab where they tested me. Nobody from that is alive, and the ones that matter are all the poor pricks like me who were tested."

The commander lifted his finger in the air, wagging it. "Maybe, but they're not the only ones," he said. "Someone, somewhere, ordered those experiments. Someone, somewhere, had to supply you to Cerberus. Someone, somewhere, had to know you would be perfect for those experiments." He then began to pace the room. "I'll bet you anything that if even one of those people had the ability to say to themselves that it was the wrong thing to do, you would be happy in a colony somewhere, with loving parents and without your fucked up little life. You could even be part of the Alliance. But none of them did. You know what that tells me?" He then turned to Jack, crossing his arms. "That tells me that those men in that facility that died all those years ago were just the beginning. Everything happens on a larger scope than just one facility, Jack, and the only solution is to tear it all down. And I am planning on doing exactly that."

He then approached her, pointing his finger right at Jack's heart. "And I bet somewhere in your angry, fucked up head, you  _know_ all this," he said. "After all, you nearly didn't come onto the ship, and you've been giving that cheerleader shit the whole time, right? You wouldn't be doing that if you thought there were innocent people in Cerberus." He then began to walk away, pacing towards the back of the room. "Well, you want to fuck up Cerberus? Here's your chance. Even you aren't stupid enough to barge in on your own, but follow me, and you'll have an entire galaxy behind you to help you do what you've always wanted. And when we're done, Cerberus won't even be a thought. Wouldn't that be the greatest feeling ever?"

Jack blinked, looking at Shepard as he sat at the table. Jack then walked to the nearby crates, placing a hand on them. She exhaled, closing her eyes. Shepard only smirked as soon as he saw the blue aura surround Jack, the crates levitating ever so slightly as she thought.

Finally, Jack looked back at Shepard, her frown coming to bear. "I guess you and I have more in common, huh?"

In an instant, the blue aura dissipated from Jack's body. She then approached Shepard, standing in front of him with her hands balled into fists. "You're taking the Cheerleader out first?" she asked.

Shepard grinned. "That's part of the plan," he said. "We can't go there ourselves unless the Cerberus presence is under control."

Jack nodded. "I'll take the cheerleader," she said. "If you want the Illusive Man, go after him. But before you slice his guts open with that sword of yours, I want a few words myself."

"So you'll help," Shepard said, matter-of-factly.

"Fuck yeah." Jack's grin would have made anyone else recoil in shock, but the Commander simply matched it. "Count me in."

"Excellent," said Shepard. He then leaned forward. "So you know, Tali and Jodie also know about me. I haven't told Jodie about my plans yet, but Tali knows everything. I plan on bringing Jodie in soon, but there's something I have to confirm first."

Jack nodded. "And what the fuck is that?"

Shepard then sat on the table. "I'll tell you later," he said. "Anyway, I think there are other things you should know. About who is on our side." He pointed to the cot. "Sit down, we're gonna be here a while."

Jack chuckled, walking over to the cot. "This is gonna be good," she said. "Lay it on me Shepard. What crazy assholes am I working with?"

* * *

"Hey, you!"

One of the batarians in the waiting room shot to attention as Daniel walked right into the waiting area. Mordin and Kalo chased after him, but they hung back as soon as Daniel leaned in.

The batarian looked up, blinking in shock. "What do you want, human?" he asked.

Daniel leaned in close to the batarian. "Isn't it right that the Skyllian Blitz was an inside job?" He opened his omni-tool. "I've been reading this thing, it's saying the Skyllian Blitz was started by some human."

The batarian leaned back, turning to his companion in confusion. "Wait, what?" the batarian asked.

"Surely you know about it," said Daniel. "He had to impersonate a batarian general to get it done, right? They say he wanted to... how do you not know this?"

The batarian turned to his companion, the confusion evident on his face. He then looked up at Daniel. "Uh... Because it wasn't an inside job?"

"That's what the fake news wants you to believe!" said Daniel. "It all works out, you know? It's someone giving everyone an excuse to fight the batarians! Because why wouldn't we want to deal with the turians?"

The batarian's companion finally stood up, shoving Daniel away. "That's not true and you know it!" he said. "Now shut up. We're still waiting for our friend to get out of medical treatment."

"Forget about him," said Daniel. "Here, let me tell you all about it!"

And there, behind him, Kalo and Mordin turned to each other. Mordin's eyes were wide in a way the quarian knew was uncharacteristic for the salarian doctor. The quarian swallowed, looking over and glancing down to the ground.

"Was that... Was that really two days?"

"Must be," said Mordin. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Radicalized. Only happens over long periods of time. This was two days."

Kalo breathed in. "Then the nanobot network..."

Mordin shook his head. "Must have been a failsafe," he said. "Do not need electromagnetic impulses to radicalize. Sure hand, proper propaganda gets same result."

"But if there is even one element of resistance there, where there sometimes is..." Kalo shook his head. "No wonder they could not be honest with me. They hid a brainwashing process within the network. As if they did not trust we would be grateful to them for doing what the Council would never consider..."

Mordin sighed. "Will take care of Daniel," he said. He then looked to Kalo. "Omega not safe. Admirals will be waiting."

"I know," said Kalo. He then sighed, looking back to the control room. "You take care of Daniel. I need to figure out how to leave this place..."

With this, Kalo turned. He did not see Mordin approach Daniel and knock him out with a blow to the back of the head, but he could tell it happened from the dull thud he heard. He did not particularly care: Kalo's steps remained heavy, and his mind remained on the simple revelation they had made earlier. How quickly Daniel had changed, how fast the change had taken hold, how it had all been at  _his hands_... The thought that he prevented the same to the quarian people was of little comfort at that moment, considering how well Kalo had come to know Daniel during his time at Mordin's clinic.

And then, a second, more appalling thought than that came to him, one that made his blood freeze: the parallel galaxy had this nanobot network there, for use on its own citizens. He thought about this, and a shudder travelled down his spine. How little did the parallel galaxy trust its own media, he thought, that it thought to add such a feature to something meant for such good?

Kalo took in a shaky breath, feeling moisture right around his eyes. He stepped into the secret compartment, and as soon as he was confident Mordin was not looking his way he leaned against the wall and sobbed heavily.


	10. Chapter 10

Jodie walked down to engineering. She looked over, seeing the two Cerberus engineers typing away at their terminals. She nodded to them politely, walking past them as she looked over to Tali on the opposite end. The quarian seemed lost in thought, and she sighed gently, continuing to work.

Jodie approached, and it was then that Tali looked up. "Oh, hello Jodie," she said. "Things have been rather quiet since Thane's son left again, haven't they?"

"They have," Jodie replied. She crossed her arms, looking up. "But I have a feeling they'll pick up again."

"They always do around Jon'i-... John." She chuckled, glancing over at the two engineers before looking to Jodie. "Jodie, can I talk to you for a second? Out of earshot of everyone?"

Jodie smiled, gesturing to the engine room. "Always," she said. She then walked over, Tali following her slowly. "What's on your mind?"

Tali nodded, bowing her head. "I... I worry about the Fleet," she said. She looked up, crossing her arms as they settled close to the control panel in front of the Normandy's engine. She looked out to it. "Did I make the right call, to leave them?"

Jodie frowned, crossing her arms. "Why are you asking me this?" she asked. "This seems like a question for Shepard."

"I have asked him that," Tali replies. "But every time I bring it up, he only says I did. He always tells me everything I have done is for the good of the Fleet. He promised me a lot..." She looked to her hands. "I don't know if Shepard wants me to tell you this, but... he gave me a cure for my immune system."

Jodie blinked, widening her eyes a little bit. Aiden gurgled his annoyance, but Jodie paid it no mind. "Was it during that one Cerberus operation where you nearly died?" she asked.

"Yes," said Tali. "That was when he told me. He said that I could help him, and in return he would help the Fleet get their own cure there." She crossed her arms. "And his galaxy offered it to me, too. Do you know it was me who had to bring Shepard's body to Cerberus?"

Jodie blinked in surprise, this blink a little more genuine. "Really?" she asked. "So you already know Miranda?"

"A little," said Tali. "I did not speak to her much. It was the moles in Cerberus that the galaxy has that did the work." She sighed, looking to the floor. "His galaxy wanted him back badly. They never told me why, but they did. And they told me they would work on getting the cure to my people afterwards." She sighed. "I know how important this is. But the Fleet..." She sighed. "They have relegated me to menial tasks. I am not stupid: I could see the mission on Haestrom as the attempt to distract me it was. Even then, I do it, but... it is almost like they want me to see nothing that is going on outside." She then looked up. "I feel maybe the Fleet was right to have left me on Haestrom."

"And why is that?" Jodie asked.

Tali sighed. "Shepard's galaxy asked me not to say anything about what I've experienced to the Fleet," she said. "I admit, I have thought about it a lot. If nothing else, it would have given them hope. But the fact I can't tell them..." Tali looked to the floor. "I'm certain my departure has given them the wrong idea about my intentions. You have no idea how much I've wanted to tell them. I nearly slipped with my father before the mission. But then I think about Shepard, and then I think about the Fleet, and I never know what to do. I tell myself it is for the good of the Fleet, but doing so by a lie of omission doesn't feel right, Jodie." She then sighed, looking down. "I should have listened to my Auntie Raan."

Jodie swallowed. She did not expect Shala'Raan's name to come up, but it made it a little easier. "Auntie Raan?"

"A friend of my father's," Tali replied. "She has been part of the family for a while. She told me that I could tell her anything, and not to wait until it was too late." She sighed. "And she said she would never tell anyone, it would be our secret..."

Jodie blinked, leaning forward and grasping Tali's wrists gently. "You'll... You may want to tell them, sometime," she said. "You never know, with these things. But..." She sighed, looking at Jodie. "Part of me thinks they don't want to believe you would betray the Fleet."

Tali looked up. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Jodie. "I'm sure your Auntie Raan is looking out for your best interests. It looks bad that you left them that way, for sure, but you may be able to clear this up with them. I'm sure they just want answers, and..." She sighed. "I hope you can clear this up with them. They'll have to listen, if only to get answers."

Tali nodded. "I hope you are right," she said. She sighed. "I hope I do not regret putting my trust in Shepard."

"You care about him," Jodie replied. "I think you could be forgiven for that."

Tali nodded, walking back. Jodie noticed that her step was a little lighter than before. "Thank you, Jodie," Tali said. "For listening."

Jodie smiled, but before she could say anything else she looked up, seeing Shepard walk past Tali's panel. The commander looked determined, and it was then that Jodie noticed he was already in armor.

"Ah, Tali, there you are," he said. "We need you for a mission."

Jodie looked at Tali. "What for?" the quarian asked.

Shepard grinned. "Well, as luck would have it, we found the Collector ship," he said. "It's giving off a signal, and it got damaged by what we did to it on Horizon. It's there, and we're going to infiltrate it." He grinned. "Jack's coming with us, so I'm expecting we'll finally be able to get down to the bottom of this. Maybe even figure out the missing pieces of intelligence that'll lead us to the Collector base."

Jodie blinked in surprise. "Wait, seriously?" she asked. "It's that big?"

"Yeah," said Shepard. He cracked his knuckles. "And I for one can't wait to uncover its secrets." He nodded to Jodie. "I'm almost expecting this to be a trap. If it is a trap, I need you to do what's got to be done."

Jodie nodded. "As you say, Commander," she said. She then looked to Tali. "Good luck there."

Shepard turned. "Come on, Tali," he said. "Let's go see what we can uncover here."

Tali turned, nodding to Shepard. "Yes, of course."

She then followed him out. As she did, though, she spared a final glance back at Jodie. Jodie noticed that Tali was probably smiling: her eyes shone a little brighter from behind her face mask, and her steps seemed a little more sure. In response, Jodie could only smile back, before Tali rounded the corner.

And then, Jodie stopped. She breathed in, looking around her. There Shepard was, about to take Tali off of the Normandy. Combined with that, Jodie knew that Shepard would likely take Xi'tro with him, too. Thus, that left nobody to supervise his quarters.

Aiden trilled. Jodie nodded as she walked off.  _Yeah, that's a good idea,_  Jodie thought.  _Come on. We may never get another chance to do this..._

* * *

Shepard stepped off the shuttle, exhaling as he looked around at the entranceway the shuttle had landed at. He stood there, hearing two other sets of footsteps set down on the ground behind him.

"I don't like this, Shepard," Jack replied. "This is too fuckin' quiet."

Shepard only smirked. "It was until you got here, Jack," he replied.

Jack glared at Shepard. "The fuck's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"You'll have to humor him, Jack," Tali replied as she too walked up to the commander. "That was his attempt at humor."

"Have they got clown schools?" asked Jack. "He could use one."

Shepard shook his head, before he looked up at the ship. "We need to go further in." He sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "And yeah, Jack, to your original statement: I don't like this either. No hull breaches detected, it's too quiet..." He looked back at his shoulder. "Be thankful I made you guys bring your weapons. This is probably some kind of trap."

"It does look like one," Tali noted as they began to enter the Collector ship. She looked around, stepping further into the ship. "Where do we go from here, though?"

Shepard nodded, bringing a hand to his ear. "EDI?" he asked.

" _Penetrating scans have detected an access node to uplink with Collector databanks,_ " the AI replied. " _Uploading to your UI._ "

Shepard then turned to his omni-tool. As soon as he did this, he saw an indicator pointing into the heart of the ship. Shepard closed his omni-tool, before looking to the path ahead. "So I guess we just keep going here," said Shepard. "I can do that. And we'll kick some Collective ass if we have to."

Jack chuckled. "Okay,  _that_ wasn't too bad," she said.

Shepard stepped forward, walking down the path. "Let's go," he said. "We've got a  _lot_ of ground to cover!"

And with no further protest, Tali and Jack followed the Commander. As he did this, the Commander switched to a private comms channel. He then looked at his omni-tool.

"Xi'tro, you ready in case we need to data mine?" he asked.

" _Absolutely, Commander,_ " the exion replied. " _You think this will keep EDI focused on the ship in case the traitor make their move?_ "

"I hope so," Shepard replied. "You know I'm going to have to ask EDI to decrypt a couple of things to keep up appearances, though."

" _Yeah..._ " Xi'tro sighed. " _Still, if I can lighten the load, I will. Just say the word and I'm there!_ "

"Of course," Shepard replied. "Stay on standby."

And with this, Shepard continued on.

* * *

Thane stood in life support. Jacob leaned against the bench, looking straight at him. They both waited for some kind of sign from Jodie, waiting out there in Jacob's omni-tool. They looked up at each other, Jacob glancing back down.

"You know the plan," said Jacob. "But remind me how quickly everything is going to go?"

"The plan is for Aiden to break the encryption on the computer," said Thane. "Without this Xi'tro there, we should get in quickly, and I should be able to access the information."

"And of course we will have to watch out for EDI," said Jacob.

"Jodie overheard that EDI may have to help them there," said Thane. "We will see what happens, but if we coordinate our moves carefully, I can go in and out without being seen."

Jacob nodded. "And she is connected to you via comms," he said. "Or at least, that's the plan." He let out a quick sigh. "I hope this works."

"As do I," said Thane.

And then, Jacob's omnitool pinged. He looked down, seeing the art program Aiden liked so much appearing. He then chuckled, seeing the chicken scratch written out.

"It looks just like a little kid's drawing," he noted. He then looked at Thane, giving him a nod. "But I think you know what this means. Let's get started."

Thane nodded. He then cupped his hands together, bowing his head as he gently breathed out. "Amonkira, Lord of Hunters. Grant that my hands be steady, my feet be swift, and my eyes open. And should the worst come to pass, grant me the strength to resist what may come."

With this, Thane ducked into the air vent. Jacob looked on, and as he did, Thane quickly disappeared into the vent.

* * *

Jodie inhaled deeply, looking up at the ceiling. "Come on, Aiden, this encryption can't be  _that_ hard to break!"

Aiden chirped angrily, before he continued work. It was agonizing waiting for Aiden to break the encryption: it was taking longer than usual, but there was nothing she could do. She knew marching right into the room was a terrible idea even if it were possible, and she knew that not seeing what he was doing was a killer. She'd known Aiden was dependable on these types of missions, certainly, but knowing that someone else had to pick up the information, and knowing that it would be better if it were Thane thanks to his eidetic memory...

Jodie exhaled, before looking at her omni-tool. As she did, she heard something come up.

" _EDI, what the hell is this? There's a dead collector here!_ "

Jodie perked up. "A dead Collector?"

" _I can't figure this out,_ " Jodie heard Jack say. " _I thought we were fighting these things, that this was its ship. The fuck is it doing on some... sciency table?_ "

" _I don't know,_ " said Shepard. " _EDI, can you analyze it_?"

Jodie perked up. She then looked up at the room, Aiden gurgling non-stop as he fought to finish the encryption. She knew that this was as likely a chance as any to get Thane into the captain's quarters: she knew he waited from a text message, but there was no way for him to say the encryption was not yet cracked. But if they did not move then, they would lose the chance...

" _Analyzing..._ " EDI said.

Jodie shook her head, looking up at Aiden.  _Aiden, forget the encryption for now,_ she thought.  _EDI's distracted, you've got to get Thane in before her surveillance turns on!_

Aiden released an angry trill. Nevertheless, Jodie grit her teeth, shaking her head.  _Aiden, you have to do it_ now _!_ she thought.  _We haven't got time!_

The entity released a rolling gurgle. Jodie then tensed, looking up at the captain's quarters as she breathed in.  _Come on..._  she thought.  _Make sure he's hiding before-_

" _Analysis complete,_ " EDI stated.

_Fuck!_

Jodie could only breathe. Aiden was silent, and Jodie knew this did not normally bode well. Neither had Thane given her any indication. The silence of the meeting room became almost deafening at that point, and the single second it took for EDI to begin explaining what had happened passed by far too quickly for comfort.

* * *

" _I have no hypothesis on their motivations. All I have are preliminary results. They reveal something remarkable: a quad-strand genetic structure, identical to traces collected from ancient ruins. Only one race is known to have this structure:_ _the Protheans._ "

Shepard inhaled sharply, looking up. "What?" he asked. "The Protheans created all this?"

" _No,_ " EDI replied. " _There are differences: these Collectors are missing three chromosomes from Prothean data. But their genetic code also shows extensive signs of engineering._ "

"So that could be the Reapers," said Tali.

Shepard groaned. "Those things again?" he said aloud. "Ugh... They always find a way to get involved with galactic politics, I swear to Christ..." He shook his head, before leaning back and crossing his arms. "So great, the Reapers are behind everything again."

Jack chuckled. "Shepard, you're killing me here," she said. "Do you actually believe this crap?"

Shepard shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he replied. He then looked up. "Whatever the case, these things need to be stopped. It's looking they could do the same thing to us if we don't fucking stop them."

"Yeah, and I'm not gonna get turned into mush," Jack replied. "Although I know one guy who could use that right now."

"Patience, Jack," said Shepard. He then turned away, continuing to walk down. "Keep an eye out for anything else, EDI. And if there's anything more interesting coming up before we hit that control panel, let me know."

He then nodded as they walked along. As Tali and Jack followed along in silence, Shepard brought his hands up, switching comms channels once again. "Xi'tro, that was all EDI, right?" he asked.

" _Yep, it was,_ " said Xi'tro. " _But I don't think she was out long enough for anyone to slip past her surveillance. Eliem moves quick, doesn't she?_ "

Here, Shepard smiled. "Yes," he agreed. "Yes, she does. And I love it."

Shepard imagined Xi'tro to reply with a nod, before he continued on, keeping his eyes peeled for anything that would catch him off guard.

* * *

The underside of Shepard's desk was rather cramped and uncomfortable. Still, Thane had been in more cramped situations before, and for much longer: he knew he would be alright, as long as his foot did not appear under the desk.

The drell considered himself lucky, all told: with the amount of time that had been afforded to him, he had barely been able to get inside before Aiden had to flash a warning across his omni-tool. Still, he'd had enough sense to hide as quickly as he could. It was a very close shave, and he wondered if EDI had noticed. However, one minute of waiting turned into two, and nothing had happened. He assumed this meant he'd avoided getting spied by EDI.

Thus, he waited, hearing the beeping occur up top as Aiden worked on the encryption.

He looked up, before gently tapping the underside of the desk. He did not think the Commander paranoid enough to believe he kept listening devices in his own quarters, but the drell knew there was never such a thing as being too careful in his profession. When he heard a silence, he mouthed a silent question to Aiden.

The terminal sounds resumed. Thane only nodded impassively, before settling back in. He then looked up at the ceiling, tapping his fingers gently against the floor.

Then, the computer's sounds abruptly stopped. As soon as they did, Thane looked down at his omni-tool. It then opened, with something written there for him in Aiden's signature chicken-scratch.

Thane nodded, leaning back. "Then wait I will," he mouthed silently, leaning back.

And so, he waited, pushing himself against the wall under the desk.

* * *

Shepard walked out into an open area. He let out a gasp as soon as he saw the sight that greeted him: pods, like the ones they'd seen on Horizon. There were so many thousands of them in the vast, expansive chamber that he had just entered, so many that he was certain only a small portion of them were filled. He was filled with a quiet awe as he looked about, his feet slowly planting themselves in the ground.

"Keelah..." Tali stepped in behind him, laying a hand on his forearm as she looked around him. "Look at all these pods..."

Jack breathed in, for once looking on with wide eyes. "Holy shit..." she said. "How many fuckers do you think would've been put in these pods?"

Shepard shook his head. "There can't be enough for everyone on Horizon..." he said. He shook his head. "And there isn't enough for every human colony you could get."

Tali gripped Shepard's arm tightly. "You don't think they would go after Earth," she said, less as a question and more as a statement.

Shepard breathed in. "They're going after mostly human colonies, right?" His fingers twitched, and had to take a breath to steady himself. "And with those seeker swarms, they could take out the whole planet." He then looked down, shaking his head. "It'd be a massacre..."

Shepard knelt down, his hands laying flat against the surface he was standing on. He shook his head, looking up at the hollow cavern of the ship. Tali noted the frown on his face, and she stepped away.

Jack leaned close, looking at Shepard. "You're not getting all teary-eyed, are you, Shepard?" she asked. "That's not like you."

Shepard sighed. "I... may..." he said. He then looked to his omni-tool. "EDI, can you give me a second?"

" _Of course, Commander,_ " said EDI. " _Your communications with the ship have been severed. You can talk freely._ "

Shepard nodded. "My species went through something similar," he said. "This that the Collectors are planning would result in  _genocide_. Cerberus may be evil, but no species deserves genocide. And once the humans are gone..." He frowned. "When we started looking into the Collectors, we knew they were up to something horrid, but  _this_? I never could have imagined this would be one of their goals." He shook his head. "Or maybe it isn't their goal. What's important is the result..."

He stood up, exhaling roughly. A new determination seemed to fill his stance. "Tali, Jack, mark my words: my galaxy's got a plan to deal with these guys. They were thinking they would use their technology, but after seeing this..." He shook his head. "I'm not so sure harnessing this technology is worth it if it is wrought from the plans of ones who would eradicate an entire species in doing so. We have our plans, and either way this goes down, these guys  _are_ getting destroyed, Prothean or not."

Jack crossed her arms. "That's  _while_ we get revenge on those fuckers at Cerberus, right?" she asked.

"Yes," said Shepard. He then stepped forward. "We're doing this together, right?"

"All the way, Shepard," said Tali. "I'm with you every step of the way.

Smile turned, flashing a genuine smile to Tali. He then acknowledged Jack with a nod, before bringing a hand to his ear and stepping forward. "Alright, EDI, you can reestablish connection with the ship."

With this, EDI came back on. " _Apologies, Shepard, I ran into some interference,_ " she said.

"Don't worry about it, EDI," Shepard replied as he stepped further down the path. "We just hit a rough spot on signal, is all."

With this, the group continued on.

* * *

Jodie paused as the conversation picked right up. All she'd been able to hear from the commander was static for a few minutes. She suspected that Shepard had said something to Tali and Jack that even she could not know, and that did not sit well with her. She knew full well the reason why, but as she thought about it Jodie could not help but think that Shepard was not beginning to trust her.

In response, Aiden gurgled gently at her. She then nodded, exhaling gently.

 _Yeah, that's true,_  she thought.  _It's not like I have any room to criticize him for that._

Still, she sighed, waiting for something else to happen. Her gaze turned to the ceiling as she waited for some other kind of sign of EDI's distraction.

And after a while...

" _Alright, looks like there's a command console here._ "

" _Finally we're gonna get the fuck out of this place. Damn place gives me the creeps._ "

" _Where are the Collectors, though? We haven't seen a single one... Be careful Shepard, something isn't right here._ "

Jodie nodded, breathing in and looking there. They knew that to access the control panel, they would need EDI. That would mean another distraction that Jodie could use to get Thane to get the information. Aiden had finally cracked the encryption, and while he could not exactly set anything up he kept himself ready to go at a moment's notice. She breathed in and out: the waiting game was her least favorite part of missions like this, but she also distinctly remembered the waiting game being everyone  _else's_ least favorite part of the job as well and so kept her annoyance down.

" _Alright..._ " Shepard said. " _EDI, let's link up with this ship._ "

" _Of course, Commander._ "

Jodie then nodded, looking up at the room above her.  _Okay, Aiden, go!_

* * *

Thane's omni-tool went off. He did not even need to see Aiden's picture to know that it was a signal to go, as he immediately pulled himself up, opening the terminal with speed that the drell was certain likely alarmed even him. His fingers flew across the holographic keyboard, and before Thane new it he'd pulled up the email client.

He had just turned to the search engine when the EDI console right by the elevator flared up. He had only noticed it out of the corner of his eye, and so he barely had enough time to duck behind the desk as his heart began to race.

_Oh no..._

He then watched as a different form was displayed: this hologram was of a strange insectoid creature, the large thing lumbering about as it looked randomly. For a second, Thane thought it had connected eyesight with him, and that very nearly broke the drell's calm.

And then, just as quick as it had arrived, the hologram died down, before reappearing. Thane thought he could see EDI's form appear in tandem with it, and so he kept his head down.

Thane shook his head, looking all around him. He looked at the space above the terminal, hoping that Aiden stood by there.

"What is happening?" he mouthed.

* * *

Shepard ducked back as machines all around him began to move. "What the hell is going on?" he asked.

" _Shepard, the Normandy was nearly overloaded,_ " EDI replied. " _This ship is not damaged: this was a trap_."

Almost as soon as EDI said this, however, the platform that Shepard and the others stood on shifted suddenly, before lifting in the air. As it rotated, Shepard had to grab onto the console to have any kind of purchase at all. The platform's rotation also threw Jack off her feet, the biotic swearing loudly as she hit the floor. And all Tali could do was grasp on to Shepard, looking around her as the platform lifted up in the air.

"EDI, I could use some help here!" Shepard shouted.

" _I'm having trouble with the connection,_   _Shepard_ ," EDI replied. " _Someone else is in the system._ "

With this, the platform abruptly stopped. Tali stumbled forward but didn't fall over, as she was able to grab onto a rail for purchase. Shepard grunted, before looking up about the rest of the shit. "Well, fuck me with a virus," Shepard replied. He then looked down. "Watch, some Collectors are going to come riding in too, just to spite me."

Shepard then heard a strange high-pitched whizzing sound from somewhere in front of him. He frowned, before seeing another hexagonal platform similar to the one he, Tali, and Jack occupied whizzing straight towards them. As it came closer, he saw the forms of several Collectors readying their weapons, all of them turning to look at Shepard.

Jack had managed to pull herself up, shaking her head in derision. "You just  _had_ to jinx it, Shepard," she said.

Shepard turned away. "EDI, we need your help here!"

" _I am trying to reestablish the connection,_ " she said. " _That is proving difficult._ "

Shepard shook his head, before leaning behind cover as he saw a second platform levitate towards them. "Must I do everything myself?" he muttered, before opening his omni-tool and holding it against the console. "Hang on, EDI, I'm going to try to help you from this end. I can't promise anything while I'm under fire from Collectors, though!"

"Heh." Shepard then looked up to see Jack glowing blue, the biotic cracking her knuckles as she leapt past the console Shepard took cover behind. "Leave this to me, Shepard. I'm gonna fuck these guys up!"

With this, Jack rushed forward, glowing a bright blue as she rushed right at a Collector. He noticed she'd actually jumped the gap straight to the platform, as well, right as the platform nestled in next to the platform he and Tali occupied. As he saw this, he witnessed Jack punch a Collector straight into the sky, before turning around and giving a jump. As she leapt, she slammed her fist back into the ground, the biotic shockwave lifting the other two Collectors into the air.

Shepard chuckled, before noticing Jack pull out her shotgun and shoot one of the Collectors in the face. "I'm glad she's on  _our_ side," Shepard replied.

"Same," said Tali. She then pulled out her own shotgun. "You do what you can, Shepard. I'll help her deal with the Collectors."

Shepard nodded, before looking at his omni-tool. He saw the familiar green spark of the exion jump occur, before he looked up. "EDI, what's your status?"

" _Reestablishing connection still,_ " said EDI. " _This may require me to use all my systems._ "

"Then do it!" Shepard ordered. "We're under fire here!"

" _Of course, Shepard. Reconfiguring..._ "

* * *

Thane looked up as soon as EDI's avatar appeared on the ship. He then ducked back under the desk, doing his best to stay absolutely still. He said a silent prayer to Amonkira that Aiden had somehow had the sense to at least turn the monitor off. Just in case, he turned back to the vent: he had indeed closed it properly. He wondered if EDI could tell the grate was just a centimeter too far out, but he knew he could not fix it, not under EDI's eye.

He then heard the sound of EDI's terminal turning off. The drell then turned, looking at the EDI console to see that she was no longer spying there. He then nodded, turning back to the terminal.

The terminal display switched back on right as Thane turned to look at it, and he sighed in relief as soon as he saw that the display still read what he had seen it as. He then turned to the message client's search bar, entering in Cerberus Base as quickly as he could. He then breathed in, before he hit enter.

The messages that came up were many in number, but even that number seemed to dip very quickly into a date range that had happened six months ago. Thane immediately knew that many of these were old emails, but only one would have the coordinates.

Thankfully, he did not have to look far: there was one star with a message. When Thane's hand hovered over the message, a display also came up indicating that it had been recently accessed, more than just a few times. Thane breathed in, before he selected the email. He hoped that Shepard would not look at that again, before the email came up.

And there it was:

" _Supreme Commander,_

_We have narrowed down the location of their headquarters. It has taken us nearly fifteen years to get to this point, but we know where the Illusive Man is._

_He is in Anadius. There is a single space station there, around a single star and an asteroid belt. It is the perfect place to hide: no habitable planets means that nobody has a reason to go there, there are no asteroids large enough to mine, and there is no relay that goes directly there. Also, it is located close to Noveria, which will throw anyone off._

_However, we will have to wait: Cerberus seems to have gotten interested in the Collectors as of late. This is a new faction we haven't heard of before, but from what rumors we have gathered, we can tell you now that it is a technologically advanced one, with different technology from our own. It may be beneficial to our ultimate objective to look further into this. From what we can tell, they have been abducting human colonists, taking them somewhere. For what purpose, nobody knows, but if we can find out and track these Collectors, we may be able to use this to our advantage._

_Anadius is in the Horsehead Nebula, as you can likely tell. We recommend assessing the Collectors first: they may be a threat, and if we can take them down, we will have an advantage nobody else in this galaxy will have. If you want to take down Cerberus first, we will understand, but we will then lose our best avenue to find out more about the Collectors._

_Choose wisely, Commander._

_Yours,_

_Operative Aether._ "

Thane nodded, before opening his omni-tool. The evidence was meaningless with his perfect memory, but physically securing it would be good for Jacob, as he knew the Corsairs operative would need something physical to corroborate Thane's memory. Thus, Thane held his omni-tool to the terminal, before taking a picture of the email.

As soon as this was done, he turned to the vent. He knew he would have to act quickly: the Normandy would get moving any time, and he needed to be out of the room before then. With this, he popped the cover off, pulled himself into the vent, and carefully closed the vent after him.

* * *

" _46_ _percent done, Shepard. We're working on it the best I can!_ "

"Work on it faster, dammit!"

" _This is going off across eight thousand nodes with more firewalls than you could shake a stick at! EDI and I are doing our best here, Shepard!_ "

Shepard growled, looking up as yet another platform rushed at where he and Tali were. Jack had noticed this platform, too, and as Shepard knelt behind cover with the omni-tool he watched as Jack threw a biotic warp at a series of Collectors on the platform.

" _Assuming direct control!_ "

Of course, the warp met one of the Collectors on the incoming platform, but it did not have any really noticeable effect on the Collector that began to glow similar to the way the Collectors on Horizon glowed. It then stepped forward, almost defiantly facing Jack as it inched forward.

He shook his head, before pulling out his pistol. "EDI, you'll have to work this out," he said. "I don't think Tali and Jack can handle one of those glowing guys on their own."

" _Noted,_ " EDI replied. " _Increasing runtimes_."

Shepard then pulled himself out of cover, before lifting his gun and shooting at the Collectors. "Come on, you sons of bitches!" he shouted. "I'm right here! Come and get me."

The glowing Collector turned to Shepard, and as he fired off a shot he began to move towards the Commander. Tali noticed this, before deploying a drone to attack the Collector. Shepard rushed forward, firing off more shots at it as it moved forward.

The Collector then rushed forward, before grabbing at Shepard. The Commander jumped back, dodging it. As he did this, he then growled, before tossing his pistol to the side carelessly. The commander then glowed green, gritting his teeth at the Collector.

"Fine, that's the way you want to play?" he asked. "Come at me, then!"

With this, the Commander rushed forward, extending a fist and punching the glowing Collector in the chest. This caused the Collector to stumble back, Shepard pulling out his trusted sword. And as the light blade danced to life, the Collector could not move too far before the two of them were engaged in a wild battle all across the platform.

And as they traded blows, EDI could only whisper one status update:

" _84 percent._ "

* * *

Jacob was startled by the sound of the door to life support opening. As soon as he turned, he saw Jodie rush in, panting heavily as she looked over to him. She nodded, gesturing to the vent cover.

"He's on his way back," Jodie said. "EDI's distracted, so she didn't see him leave, but as soon as EDI reestablishes the connection, she'll be back to surveillance on the Normandy. Thane needs to be out of the vent before then!"

Jacob nodded, before he folded his arms together. "That's on him," he said. "Let's hope he's fast..."

The two of them then heard a clamor from within the vents. Jacob immediately sat up, before he took a step back. And as he did, he looked to the vent, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Aiden trilled, and then Jodie found herself swallowing a lump in her throat.

After a second, the vent cover popped off. The ship lurched violently to the side as soon as this happened, and while Thane did tumble out indelicately he did manage to recover, sprawling against the wall to steady himself. As soon as he was out of the vent, the vent cover was lifted in the air by Aiden. Jodie quickly grabbed it, before rushing to the vent hole and slamming the cover back on as best she could. When she stepped back, Aiden gave it a little push so it was securely in place.

"The location," said Jacob, opening his omni-tool as he turned to Thane.

"Anadius, in the Horsehead Nebula," said Thane. He opened the omni-tool. "Here is the picture of the email I took."

Jacob nodded, writing up the message quickly as he received Thane's image. He then tapped a few more buttons, not saying anything as he finished out the message.

And then, with a dramatic gesture, he sent the message. He exhaled roughly, taking a step back as he breathed in and out. It was with this that Jodie finally acted in kind, slumping against the wall before she sank to the floor.

"Holy shit, we actually pulled this off," Jodie replied.

"I can't believe we got help from the  _Collectors_ , of all things to get help from," Jacob added. He then sighed, chuckling softly. "Well, there we have it. Now, the Council will have to move to capture the Illusive Man before they do. And who knows when Shepard will take care of that?"

"I don't know, but we might have the jump on them, considering this whole Collector homeworld thing," said Jodie. She sighed. "Maybe we'll get that galaxy to see."

"I would not be certain of that." Thane stepped forward. "The message also alluded to their true intentions. I do not believe they mean well for the Council."

"They'll see that in the message though, right?" Jodie asked.

Jacob nodded. "I trust the Council will do the right thing," he said. "Either way, we'll be cutting off Cerberus' head with this action, and that's something that needs to happen. We'll figure this out."

Jodie sighed. Aiden let out a soft trill, the trill rising in pitch slightly. Jodie could only nod in response.

"Yeah, Aiden," she said. "Yeah... You did well."

* * *

Shepard growled as the Collector managed to catch his blade. Shepard pushed harder against the Collector, gritting his teeth hard as he pushed.

"You will not win!" Shepard shouted.

" _Submit,_ " the Collector replied. " _Resistance is useless._ "

Shepard then growled, before raising his leg and delivering a powered kick to the Collector's midsection. It then stumbled back, before Shepard followed up with another one. This sent the Collector flying off the platform, its back slamming into a nearby outcropping of pods. Shepard followed soon after, and though he thought he heard Tali cry out in shock, he did not care.

For then, he stabbed the Collector through the torso, sticking him in place to the pod directly behind them.

Shepard then leaned close, squeezing his hand around the Collector's neck in its final death throes. "I know you're listening, Collectors," Shepard said. "So heed my warning: I  _will_ come for you, and you'll regret embarking on your plans with us. The genocide of an entire species will not happen, not now, and I refuse to allow that. So come at me. We'll be dealing worse to you!"

And with this, Shepard planted his feet on the Collector, before using his energy to propel himself back to the platform in question. The Collector dissolved behind him, and as Shepard landed on the platform he let out a sigh of relief. As he walked back to the console, Jack and Tali both came up to him.

"Hah, crazy times, Shepard!" Jack said. "Can't believe you took on  _that_ psycho by hand!"

"Be careful next time!" Tali replied. "I was seriously worried!"

Shepard shrugged. "I'm fine, Tali," he replied. "It's nothing you needed to be worried about." He then turned to the console. "EDI, are you there?"

EDI's avatar then appeared right on the console. " _Connection reestablished, Shepard,_ " she said. " _I have control of the platform now._ "

"Good," said Shepard. "Please tell me you have something else that's good, too."

" _I do,_ " said EDI. " _I have information that will help us pinpoint the location of the Collectors' homeworld._ "

"Oh, good," said Jack. "We can finally figure out where we need to go to kick people's asses!"

"Well, at least this wasn't totally worthless," said Shepard. He then looked to EDI's avatar. "What else is there?"

" _We discovered something interesting about the distress call that brought us here..._ "

* * *

Miranda walked into the room, Okeer following in her footsteps. Jodie and Tali remained still as they looked to the table, looking to the center as Shepard stepped out of a call with the Illusive Man.

"So he put us in danger intentionally to get that information," Shepard said. He shook his head, crossing his arms in disbelief.

"I can't believe we got away from that," said Okeer. "That was a close one, Shepard. Sloppy."

"Not sloppy," he said. He then glared at Miranda. "Especially considering that we all thought it was abandoned! That could've gotten us  _killed_!"

Miranda frowned, crossing her arms. "We needed that intel and you know it," she said. "I imagine if the Illusive Man lured us into a trap, it was worth it."

But Shepard glared at her, before shaking his head. "Once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader," he muttered. He then glanced to the side, looking up at the hologram. "Whatever. I've given the data to EDI so she can analyze it. You sure this IFF the Illusive Man mentioned is going to work?"

EDI's globe came up. " _Yes, Shepard,_ " she said. " _I have also extrapolated the approximate location of the Collector homeworld based on navigational data from their vessel._ "

And with this, a map of the galaxy came up. Jodie leaned forward, watching as the coordinate highlighter came up. It then moved close to the center of the galaxy, before settling just beneath the bright lights that took up the galaxy's center in the map.

Everyone else in the room leaned forward, all of them looking there in some disbelief.

"That can't be right," Miranda said.

"Gotta say, she's got a point," said Shepard. "No planet can exist that close to a bunch of black holes!"

"No, it must be right," said Tali. "If EDI is an AI, its computing would be second to none." She then pushed back. "What if it's not a homeworld we are looking for at all?"

"Like a base?" Okeer stood upright, a deep rumble forming in his chest. "Hm... There's nothing we have that can stabilize a base in a place like that. But if anybody would have that, you bet it's the Collectors."

"Absolutely," said Shepard. He shook his head. "No wonder nobody has ever returned."

" _The logical conclusion is that a safe zone exists on the far side of the relay,_ " EDI replied. " _A zone where ships can survive. But that is not a ship that is triggered by standard relay protocols. The Reaper IFF maybe triggers advanced protocols to help the ship arrive safely._ "

"Then I think we know what our priority is," said Miranda. "Find the IFF."

"Indeed," said Shepard. He then gestured. "We'll plot a course to that derelict Reaper for our very next mission. I expect everyone to be at their best game."

"Of course, Commander," said Okeer. "You can bet we will all be ready."

With this, Okeer and Miranda turned. The two of them exited the room, with Miranda glancing back at the galaxy projection. Jodie nodded to her, before she exited. The door closed behind her with a decisive close, and then EDI's hologram disappeared.

Jodie looked to Tali, before her gaze turned to Sehpard. "Well... we'll be out of Cerberus' hair soon, once we get that IFF," said Jodie. "And then, we'll be getting into the Collector base, and stopping the Collectors."

"No. Not  _us_ , anyway."

Tali and Jodie started in surprise at Shepard's declaration. Jodie took a step back, reeling slightly at the confidence in Shepard's tone, the way he stood up and crossed his arms, the way he grinned as he looked at the display showing the Collector Base's location on his omni-tool.

"What do you mean?" asked Jodie.

Shepard chuckled. "The Illusive Man told me I need the IFF from that derelict Reaper to get through the Omega 4 Relay," he began. "But here's the thing: the relay is only important to me as long as it prevents people from getting to the Collectors. But with my galaxy, they don't need the relays, and we can land in our destination with a precision that would render the IFF meaningless." He then chuckled. "It's really very simple: I can give them the coordinates, they can make their own way there, and  _they_ can take the Collector base."

Tali looked at the center of the galaxy projection. "Then Cerberus..." She frowned, crossing her arms.

"Some of our intelligence had been eyeing the activity of the Collectors for about a week before I died," he said. He chuckled. "Cerberus is a rotten organization, but I'll be damned if they didn't turn out to be incredibly useful in the end. They wanted to know where the Collectors came from, what secrets their technology held. They wanted to know, and so did we. So we decided to piggyback off of that. And now that we finally know where the Collectors are, I have no more need to pretend with Cerberus."

Jodie swallowed, looking at Shepard. "And what does that mean?"

Shepard grinned, rubbing his hands together. "What that means, Jodie, is that our opportunity to wipe Cerberus off the face of this twisted galaxy has arrived at long last," he said. He turned away. "See, my galaxy has had the coordinates to the Illusive Man's base for a while. I plan to send a fleet to take the Collector Base for ourselves. And while they do that, I am going directly for the Illusive Man." He then grinned, crossing his arms. "Tali, have I ever told you about the Reckoning?"

Aiden had to trill louder than usual, and Jodie found her hand tensing out of control. A sudden wave of fear rushed through her entire body, and Jodie found it very difficult to breathe after the fact. She was glad, however, that Shepard's gaze remained fixed on Tali; it meant she could collect her bearings.

Tali frowned. "N... no..." she said. "Why?"

Shepard turned, looking up. "It is the greatest punishment my people can bestow on others," he said. "It forces them to feel the pain of every single person they have wronged. It is slow at first, and it slowly consumes anyone who undergoes it with guilt that drives them to literal insanity. We only reserve it for the most hated enemies of the Artician people."

Jodie watched Shepard look back at them, a malevolent glint in his eyes. "There are some who say the Reckoning is worse if the artician who gives it was personally wronged by the other party, to the point it can kill them" he said. "I've never been able to verify it for myself. However, I think there is truly no better time to verify this than now." He then grinned. "Even if it kills him, he will feel millions of lifetimes of pain, my lifetime of pain, my lifetime of waiting for this moment, all as I bring him face to face with what he wrought upon us. And those lifetimes will stretch on for eternity. It may only kill him in a second, but it will be the longest second of his life."

Jodie felt a chill rush down her spine as soon as she saw the way Shepard's teeth seemed to glint in the light. It was absolutely chilling, and she could sense from the way Tali stepped back that she felt the same way as well. And then, Jodie looked back, Shepard's grin darkening as he looked at the both of them.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this, Tali. Everything I have done has led to this moment. And it will be  _glorious_!"

* * *

"Sir, we have a top priority message from our moles on the Normandy! Come quick!"

Victus and Pravuil turned at the same time half the control room did. One of the turian technicians pointed right at his terminal's display, sitting back in his chair to give Pravuil and Victus time to look.

Victus approached first, Pravuil following behind in short order. Both of them read over the contents of the message as quickly as they could. The name Anadius came up, and then Victus nodded.

"Anadius... Of course!" He then turned back to the technician. "Alert everyone else in our alliance  _immediately._ This is too important to pass up."

"Yes, sir!" the technician barked.

Victus and Pravuil pulled themselves away from the technician, and just in time for all the other technicians to crowd around him. Pravuil's steps seemed more hesitant, and Victus noted that his shoulders carried a tension that was otherwise foreign to the aqueron. After a few seconds, Pravuil had to take a deep breath, closing his eyes as he exhaled slowly.

"I take it this is big news," said Victus.

"My whole galaxy has waited for the date of Cerberus' decapitation..." Pravuil looked away, holding his arms together. "I just never imagined you could have a part in it."

Victus rested his hand on Pravuil's shoulders. "Whatever happens now, Pravuil, the Illusive Man will be made to answer for his crimes," he said. "Whether it be at the hands of your galaxy or ours is incidental. Let's just hope this succeeds, for everybody's sake."

Pravuil nodded. He then exhaled sharply, before turning to look at the other technicians, watching as they began to peel away from the terminal, chattering animatedly amongst themselves as the volume of their chattering slowly increased.


	11. Chapter 11

 

In the center of the galaxy, all seemed relatively quiet. The Collector ship had just docked back for repairs, repairs that they were expecting.

In the center of it all, the Collector General flitted about, its weird bug-like appendages flitting about near its multiple control panels. The Commander had escaped. What exactly had caused this escape was beyond the General's ken. Some of the reports the scouts sent indicated there was some advanced artificial intelligence working against them, but that could not be true: nothing was more powerful than the great Overmind. The Overmind itself had referred to itself as such in each instance that the General had heard its whispers. It asserted dominance, so it must be true.

It was not more powerful. More clever, the general could make a case for that. But one simple test was not enough to confirm its power. After all, there was but little they could do against the might of the Overmind.

The Overmind ruled all.

And then, suddenly, the Collector Ship blinked out of existence. It was only a single light on a holographic panel, but it alerted the Collector General immediately. Its eyes glowed as it looked about, thinking of possible reasons for how that could have happened. They had only one ship, after all, so perhaps it was just a technical malfunction. Those happened on occasion, it knew, but just in case, it thought to pull up a map of the station, the projection showing in full three dimensions.

There was nothing that seemed too alarming, at least not at first. But then a mad cracking of static began to fill the air of the Collector base, so much so that even the General could feel it. It looked around frantically at all of its panels, looking wildly around it.

And then, all at once, an electrical discharge shook the station. Everything went out, until the only light in the chamber was the unnatural light of the General's eyes, the way the Overmind made them. It could only look around at the complete silence, wondering what had just happened.

After a second, the electricity returned. And then, two alarming things jumped out at the General. The first, was the sudden presence of a different menu, one that had just been pulled up. It was used to maintain the seeker swarms: the readings there showed the seeker swarms to be operating at a completely subpar level. This alarmed the General, and then it wondered what could have done such a thing.

And then it turned back to the hologram of the base. There, it saw at least twenty red dots, all of them glowing angry, one right next to where the ship had been docked, and all of them were surrounding the base, all of them standing far too close to the base for comfort. They were soon joined by eight more dots, all of them surrounding the base completely and utterly.

This defied explanation: how had the Commander so skillfully gotten twenty-eight vessels to approach? There was no thought of what they were, only how close they were. And at this, the general began to panic. No vessel had ever come so close to their child, the Overmind's child, the one that would become the herald of the new Overminds. How was it discovered so...?

And then, the General felt the presence of the Overmind fade away. It suddenly became aware of how bloated its own body was, the sounds of gunfire leading up to its chamber, the sounds of explosions, the screams of its brethren.

" _We have no more use for you, slave,_ " the voice of the Overmind replied. " _We will form our own plans._ "

And then, there was silence, only punctuated by the sounds of clicking rifles. The General could barely even turn his head before searing pain filled his sides, and he felt no more.

* * *

The Normandy pulled up to Mnemosyne. Shepard, Jodie, and Miranda all stood behind Joker. The pilot frowned as they came along the little dwarf planet, squinting as he looked at it.

"There it is, Commander," said Joker. "A sleeping Reaper waiting to be explored again." He then looked up at Shepard. "Just tell me not getting indoctrinated is in the game plan here."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that..." Jodie replied. She glanced to the side, hoping neither Joker nor Miranda noticed the way her arm twitched slightly as she said this.

"Well, look at it this way," Miranda replied. "Soon we will get to the Omega 4 Relay, and we'll end this madness."

"Yeah..." Jodie then looked up at the planet, seeing Joker manipulate the controls. "I just don't know that it will end how we expect it too."

"Oh, don't be silly," Shepard replied. "It'll end with this base going boom, the Collectors being finished, and no more human colonists being abducted. Genocide averted." He then looked at Jodie. "I think we can all be happy about an outcome like  _that_ , right?"

Miranda nodded, looking at Jodie. "For once, I have to agree with the Commander," she replied. "I can't wait to destroy this base."

"Yeah," said Jodie. She then sighed heavily. "I just wish-"

And without warning, the Normandy stopped. This sent Jodie and Miranda stumbling forward, both of them only staying upright because they grabbed onto Joker's chair fast enough. Jodie then exhaled, swallowing nervously as she looked up.

Joker frowned, looking at his controls as he flitted his hands across them again. "What the hell?" he asked.

At this, EDI's hologram came up. " _We seem to have stopped, Joker,_ " she said.

"Yes, and our moon has white rocks on it," said Joker. "Why aren't the controls responding?"

" _Alert: there is something in the way,_ " EDI replied.

Miranda frowned, before looking up out of the viewport. "Something in the way?" she asked. "But I don't-"

And then, before their very eyes, a ship materialized from nothing. It simply appeared: Jodie knew what this, had heard Valentine talking about ships materalizing out of nothing, but seeing it so tantalizingly close to the front of the ship still gave her a jump, and enough of a shock that she was able to at least act like she had no idea what was happening.

Jodie could hear murmurs from the Cerberus crew behind her as she looked on. Joker then looked on at EDI's display, before looking back to the ship just outside of theirs. Joker then shook his head, before looking to EDI's avatar. "EDI, fire up the torpedo array!"

Miranda frowned, before stepping forward and shaking her head. "No, EDI, don't you dare!" she said. "You blow them up this close, we're taking ourselves with it."

"But we're surrounded in a hostile take-over," said Joker. "We've got to-"

" _I would listen to the_ cheerleader _, Jeff. There's no way any of you are leaving the Commander's watchful eye._ "

And then, at the sudden change of wording, Jodie jumped, for real this time. There was no way EDI could ascribe to that wording: she was a Cerberus program through and through. Aiden trilled in shock, and Jodie looked at EDI's display.

"What...?"

Before Jodie could say anything else, EDI's classic hologram changed to that of a beautiful woman. It reminded Jodie of Eva for a second, the similarity causing her to take a breath. But more than that, the way it glowed green reminded her of Vi'tro, who also manifested similarly. She could not hold back the trembling in her hands as she looked on.

Against all instinct, she refrained against turning to Shepard. She instead turned to Miranda, seeing the shock register on her face. She then turned to Shepard. "Shepard, you..." Miranda frowned, turning to face him. "You know what's going on, don't you?"

Shepard chuckled. "Oh, Miranda, you stupid, stupid girl," he replied. "If only you knew  _half_ the things I knew, you would've never joined Cerberus, nor would you have defended them to  _my_ face."

He then brought his hand up to his ear, before stepping away from Joker. "You've done an exceptional job with the boxing maneuver, Admiral," he said. "Prepare to board this pretender."

Joker frowned as an airlock control disengaged. The pilot then looked to Jodie, before turning to Shepard. "Shepard?" he asked. "You know these guys?"

Shepard nodded, standing by the airlock door. "I'll explain everything to everyone on this ship in a second," he said. "But to make a  _very_ long story short: yes I do."

Jodie stood rooted to the spot, finally coming out from behind Joker as she stepped forward. "Then..." she said.

"Yes, Jodie, this is the moment you and Tali have waited for."

He then stepped aside, the airlock door opening. He turned to face the airlock, before a large velociraptor-like creature stepped through the door. He was flanked by two others of similar type, and Jodie thought she recognized the splotches on the creature's face. When she examined him further, though, she realized there was only the faintest trace of resemblance.

And then, she turned to the raptor's right. And  _there_ , she had to fight every instinct in her body to keep from recoiling at the sight of Karshia, and Jodie could tell from the way she shifted her feet that she was thinking the same thing.

_Well, shit._

"Jon'ison Shardan!" the older praetorin greeted. "Well met, indeed!"

"You know it, Admiral Kalpalan," said Shepard as he bowed respectfully. "I for one am glad to have you on board. How about the other boarding parties?"

"Working on the lower levels as we speak," the Admiral replied. He gestured to EDI. "Eliem here is doing a wonderful job of manning the systems. It's like she was never shackled in the first place."

At this, Jodie heard movement from behind her. "How the hell did you know she was...?"

Jodie turned, seeing Miranda with a look of shock that was almost alien on her face. She stumbled through her words. "And these... First contact..." She then looked out to the viewport. "And those ships... What is...?"

At this, Shepard only grinned, before bowing to the side. "And I present to you, Admiral, our resident cheerleader." He shrugged. "Jack's nickname, not mine. I  _wish_ I could've come up with something as good as that, though."

"I see..." The admiral stepped forward, eyeing Miranda closely. "You were right: her beauty is like nothing I've ever seen in either galaxy."

Miranda glowered, before breathing in and looking at Shepard. "Alright, Shepard," she said. "This has gone on long enough. I'd accuse you of pulling a prank, but  _this_ is too elaborate to be a prank. What is going on, who..." She then paused upon looking at the praetoren that stood at the airlock, noticing that more had filtered in, before turning back to Shepard. " _What_  are these people, how do they know you, and why are they interfering with this mission?"

"They're interfering with the mission because we just fulfilled its parameters," said Shepard. He then stepped forward. "Suicide mission? No chance. Once I knew where we needed to go, I only needed to send a fleet there.  _My_ fleets don't need the mass relays to travel." He then began to pace around, Miranda and Joker remaining speechless as he did. "They're here because now we have a new mission, one that your Illusive Man could know nothing about. And he will know nothing about it: all emergency channels you can use are blocked, up until we go to Anadius." He then chuckled. "Those coordinates should be very familiar to you, Miranda."

He then looked back at the boarding party, with his arms crossed. "And where are my manners? I'm very sorry, I should introduce you two." He then gestured to Admiral Kalpalan.

"Cheerleader, say hello to the inhabitants of my galaxy," said Shepard. "My  _true_  name is Jon'ison Shardan, and I am the prince of a galaxy in a wormhole in the Armstrong Nebula."

He then inched closer, before pointing right at them. "I want you to look deep into their eyes, Miranda," he continued. "I want you to look into their eyes, see the rage that is burning there." He then stepped back. "I want you to try, just  _try_ to make excuses for the Illusive Man's actions against us. And I want you to just  _try_ to justify why he  _slaughtered_ my galaxy's inhabitants with that virus on that fateful day thirty years ago. Go on. I'm waiting."

To say Miranda was shocked into silence was an understatement: Jodie had never seen  _anyone_ 's eyes bulge out the way Miranda's did at that moment, and her limbs were tensed so much Jodie was not certain if she could move. The XO did her best to move her mouth, but no words formed from her lips as she tried to digest what had happened. And as she did this, Shepard loomed over her, almost like a predator. Jodie had to admit, it made her  _very_ uncomfortable, and she was not even the one being scrutinized like that.

After a while, Shepard shook his head. "Looks like you're out of excuses," he said. "And here I thought you were made to be perfect."

He then turned on his heel, looking to the Admiral. "Admiral, arrest everyone on this deck. Jodie, the krogan scientist, and the guy manning the armory are the only exceptions on this deck. They're friendly." He then glanced back at the back of the ship. "Mostly."

With this, the praetoren at the airlock filed out, the screams of the Normandy's crew. Shepard then nodded, with Karshia and the admiral both heading towards Joker and Miranda.

* * *

The first place Jodie went to was the engineering deck. As soon as she got there, she noticed some praetoren marching to the elevator with Tali's two engineering friends with their arms behind their backs. Jodie had to keep from breathing in nervously, stepping out of the way of them as they boarded the elevator.

"And  _stay_ there!" As the elevator doors closed, Jodie looked back to Jack, the tattoo'd woman taunting the two engineers with the biggest smile on her face.

Behind her, Grunt looked at Jack with a bewildered expression. "What are these strange lizards?" he asked. He then turned to Tali, who was coming up behind Jack. "And how do you know what they are?"

"It's... a long story," said Tali. She rubbed the back of her head, before finally noticing that Jodie stood by the elevator. "Jodie!"

Jodie rushed towards Tali. "The Commander didn't tell you he'd replaced EDI, did he?" she asked.

Tali frowned immediately. "He told me as soon as he had done it," she said. She tilted her head, looking at her. "He didn't tell you?"

"No," said Jodie. "I found out at the same time Miranda and Joker found out!"

Jack scoffed loudly. "Oh, wow, he  _really_ left you out, huh?" she asked.

Jodie then blinked in shock, turning to Jack. "Wait, you know too?"

"Hell yeah, I know!" Jack replied. "He even told me that I get to flay that cheerleader alive!"

"Then he'd already made his plans?" asked Jodie.

"Of course," said Tali. "How do you not know?"

"He never told me," said Jodie. She shook her head, looking up at Tali. "You said to keep me in his confidence, right?"

"I did," said Tali. "I'm sorry, Jodie, I just don't know why he would exclude you from that."

Jodie breathed in. "Then..."

And she stopped. Suddenly, everything she had done on the ship came back to her. The excuse she had to come up when she bumped into the Commander on Freedom's Progress, everything with Tali, the mission with Thane, her excuses for getting onto Omega to talk recon with Jacob...

Aiden gurgled low, and suddenly Jodie felt the Commander staring over her shoulder. She turned back, but no Commander stood there, and neither did ED...  _Eliem_ 's hologram. But nevertheless, the feeling of being watched persisted, and it persisted even as she turned back to Tali.

The quarian frowned. "Jodie, are you alright?" she asked.

Jodie shook her head. At least there she could tell a half-truth. "It's like he's unable to trust people," she said. "Even after I lectured him on that, he still wouldn't trust me with something." She gestured to Jack. "Hell, he trusted some psycho biotic he  _just_ met before he trusted me!"

With this, Jack glowed with the blue of biotics, stepping towards Jodie. "You want to get started, bitch?" she asked. "You're just some scrawny runt, I can fuck you up real bad."

Something snapped within Jodie, and then she turned to Jack. "I'll have you know I was-"

"Jack, Jodie, enough!" Tali stepped between the two of them, her arms splaying out to hold both of them back. Jodie thought she saw the elevator display flicker oddly to her right, before she then turned back to Tali. "Jodie, I'll talk to Shepard, see what his reasoning is. I told him he needed to trust you, but he hasn't done that, it looks like." She then turned to Jack. "And for  _you_ , we will not have you attacking her."

"What?" asked Jack. "It's not like he'd defend her."

Tali frowned, the light in her helmet narrowing. "Do you really want to test that?"

Jack frowned, analyzing Tali as she stood there. The quarian's arms were taught, and Jodie could see she seemed to strain a little to keep them as far apart as she could.

Finally, Jack backed off, glaring at Jodie. "Fine," she said. "But  _only_ because I want to kick Cerberus' ass." She then turned around, walking back down. "We better get ready to party, though. Once these Cerberus fucks are out of the way, we're going to have a big party in here, and I'm gonna be hitting that red sand  _hard_."

With this, Jack walked down to her little hidey-hole. This left Tali, Jodie, and Grunt standing to watch her leave. And finally, when she left, Jodie blinked in surprise.

"She has red sand on board?" Jodie asked.

"Yes," Tali asked. She shrugged. "Don't ask me why, it is as much a mystery for me as it is for you."

"Yeah, no kidding," said Jodie, thinking better of telling Tali why that was a bad idea. "Well, she'll only have it until the confiscate it, I guess, so..." She then sighed, rubbing her elbow. "Dammit. This is all..."

"Well, she's out of our skin now." With this, Grunt turned to Jodie. "So you knew something about those guys?"

"A little," Jodie replied. "Not a lot. Tali knew more than I did, though."

"So can you tell me what's going on?" the krogan asked.

Tali nodded. "Here, Grunt, let's find somewhere to sit down. This is a very long story..."

* * *

" _That's_ the Commander's story?"

Grunt snorted loudly, before he turned away, looking up at the ceiling. Jodie nodded, sighing out gently. "Yeah, that's his story," Jodie replied.

Aiden trilled comfortingly. Jodie relaxed a little, her shoulders a little less tense than usual.  _I'll be okay, Aiden,_  she thought.  _It just felt really good to not have to pretend I don't know anything about the Commander at this point._ "

"Huh." Grunt shook his head, looking directly at Tali. "So this man hides his true identity from us for years, pretends he is something he is not, steals all of humanity's achievements,  _and_ did it because he thinks Cerberus talks for every human?"

"That sums it up," said Tali. She then glanced down. "I don't know about that last bit, Grunt, he doesn't hate all humans."

"No, just the ones who help him," he said. "And if they don't hate him before, they'll hate him now for sure."

"Well, he's not a bad man," said Tali.

Grunt leaned forward. "He lied to us," he said. "That's enough for me."

"So what are you going to do about it?" asked Jodie.

Grunt shrugged. "Well, I'd just get the hell off this ship, but that old fart Okeer's probably going to stay around," he said. "He never knew when to quit. He's just going to stay here and rot, like the-"

The krogan was interrupted by the door opening. Before Grunt could continue, his eyes widened, Okeer stomping into the room. "Grunt, get your shotgun. We're getting off this piece of crap ship!"

Grunt blinked in shock. He took a second to process the words, before chuckling, smacking his knee and standing up. "Gladly," he said.

Behind Okeer, Shepard held his hands out, trying to block Okeer as the older krogan began to gather datapads of his research. "Okeer,  _wait_ ," said Shepard. "Just stop and-"

"You told me you were looking out for everyone's best interests," said the older krogan. "Well,  _lying_ to us isn't going to get us to go that way." He then growled, before pushing him out of the way to get to the datapads. "Now get out of the way. I need to take my research back to the homeworld."

Shepard breathed in. "Okeer, if you would just listen, then-"

"I listened to you long enough." Okeer grabbed a datapad, Grunt crossing past him. "Now take us to the shuttle. We're getting off this ship, and we're-"

"We're working on a cure for your people's Genophage!"

Shepard's shout caused both Grunt and Okeer to stop in place. Jodie and Tali also both stiffened, although Jodie realized a second after the fact that her shoulder was perhaps a little too loose, considering what Shepard had just blurted out in front of her. Slowly, Okeer and Grunt turned to him, and Jodie found she had to bite her tongue to keep from saying whatever she could to counter that, to stop what she knew would happen next.

"What?" Okeer asked.

"We are going to cure the Genophage," said Shepard. He shook his head. "One thing I  _never_ lie about, is that genocide is  _wrong._ I may have lied to you to preserve my cover, but that is the extent of my lies. I will not watch your people suffer from a plague inflicted by a mean-spirited Council who still wishes to punish you well past your time of repentance."

Okeer then frowned. Grunt and Jodie watched him intently, both of them frowning as Okeer paused to consider his words.

Finally, Okeer looked up. "And how do I know you won't neuter us again?" he asked.

"Because we are far more humane than they will ever be," Shepard replied. "We do not believe in neutering our allies. The Council treated you as tools: we do not believe the same. You are not tools: you are sentient beings, just like the rest of us. And you will not be made to suffer an unimaginable horror for so long, ever again."

Jodie tensed. However, it was not at the possibility of Okeer believing him, but of herself believing him. His words carried such honey to them that Jodie briefly began to wonder if she should just let Okeer join Shepard's forces. Maybe they were not so bad, after all, and...

A loud click from Aiden silenced her. And then, with the next few clicks, Jodie was reminded of Kalo's own half of the mission. Thus, she breathed in, looking to Okeer.

The older krogan nodded, before putting his datapad down. "Fine," he said. "I'll stay."

But Grunt rushed to Okeer. "What?" he asked. "You would cede to this-"

"My legacy is to return the krogan to their former glory," he said. "These people would do that. I do not like their deception, Grunt, but... maybe they  _will_ let us live our lives in the way the Council never would."

Grunt breathed in, frowning at Okeer. "And if they don't?" he asked.

Shepard grinned at him. "You won't have to worry about that," Shepard replied. "You have gained our trust: we apologize for the initial breach, and we hope our coming partnership will cement our trust further, and erase the old distrust we held."

Grunt frowned, and did not turn away. Okeer, however, nodded, gesturing to the door. "I guess you better let me meet this science team," Okeer replied. "I should get to know what they're gonna do."

"Oh, gladly," said Shepard. "I hear they want to explain the details of this genophage cure to you in great detail..."

With this, Shepard and Okeer exited the room. When the door closed shut behind them, Jodie sighed, shaking her head. She rubbed at her forehead as Grunt watched them go.

The younger krogan shook his head. "Coward," he spat. "Urdnot Wrex was not as much of a fool as he was."

Tali leaned forward, stroking Grunt's arm gently. "Shepard is different, I promise," said Tali. "You'll see in time."

Grunt only huffed, Jodie watching him. She then paused, before standing up immediately and frowning, walking right to the door.

"Hang on," she said, walking to the door. "He was just here and he didn't even-!" She then slammed her hand on the door control, the door control flickering out of existence. "Shepard!"

Jodie then walked towards the elevator, her feet seeming to fly along the floor. There the Commander was, talking to Okeer and Admiral Kalpalan: Shepard had turned to her, a smile forming on his face.

"Oh, Jodie," Shepard replied. "Hey, sorry there. I was just going to get Admiral Kalpalan to-"

Jodie cut Shepard off with a violent smack that turned his head away. The motion shocked Shepard, who rubbed his cheek where Jodie had slapped him. Admiral Kalpalan and Okeer blinked in shock, before Jodie leaned in, glaring at Shepard.

"You son of a bitch!" she said, stabbing her finger into Shepard's chest. "How dare you!"

Shepard chuckled nervously, holding his hands out and pushing back. "Jodie, Jodie, hold on," he said. "I'd meant to tell you, but-"

"Don't patronize  _me_ , Shepard," Jodie shouted at him, the lights around her flickering slightly. "You  _promised!_ You promised me you'd be more open with me, tell me  _everything_ that's going on here! And before you say anything else about anything, you promised  _Tali_ , too! She  _told_ you to tell me, and you broke that promise to her, too!" She then turned around, before turning to Shepard. "And now, before I know it, your galaxy just crashes in here after an AI you replaced God knows when! You promised, Shepard, and you broke it!" She then turned to Okeer. "You'll see what his promises mean in a bit, Okeer," she said. "Just you mark my-"

"Jodie, enough!"

Shepard's shout startled her into silence. She leaned back, Aiden clicking once in surprise as she looked at him. Admiral Kalpalan frowned: in a second, he stepped towards Shepard.

"Jon'ison, is this something I should be worried about?" the admiral asked. "It's very concerning to me that you would not-"

"It's fine, Admiral," Shepard replied. He shook his head, stepping back. "It just slipped my mind, is all. I'm going to have to have a talk with her about that later." He then shrugged. "After all, this isn't the first time I've had to lecture her about her penchant for shouting at me."

"That was different!" Jodie replied pointedly. "That was about insubordination. This is about something  _you_ did!"

Shepard chuckled, looking to the admiral. "She's a spunky one," he commented.

The admiral nodded, and even Jodie could see the hesitation in his nod. "Of... course, Supreme Commander," he said. He then rubbed the back of his head. "I guess we'll discuss how we get to the Cerberus base from here?"

"Of course," said Shepard. He then turned to the elevator. "Excuse me."

With this, the elevator doors opened, with Shepard, Okeer, and the Admiral stepping inside. As they did, Jodie stood her ground, Tali having rushed over to her.

"This conversation isn't over!" Jodie replied.

And here, Shepard smirked. "Indeed it isn't,  _Holmes_ ," he said.

Jodie blinked, and in her shock she remained speechless as the elevator doors closed. She then growled, before kicking up some dirt she was sure didn't exist on the floor. She turned away, jamming her hands into her pockets as Grunt approached her.

The young krogan looked up. "Yes, let's trust him," he said. He turned to Tali. "I can't see  _that_ going wrong."

With this, Grunt turned, leaving Tali to stand there. And soon after, Jodie followed him, only glaring at Tali once before she stepped into Grunt's quarters with him.

* * *

An hour or so had passed before Jodie finally felt like leaving Grunt's quarters. It was with a click of the elevator that she stepped onto the crew deck, watching as the new crew of the Normandy moved about in the mess hall. Here she saw more of the variety she knew the parallel galaxy had: aquerons and praetoren sat around in circles regaling tales and sharing merriment, and she even saw a tolahña cook who stood over Sergeant Gardner's old spot. Jodie exhaled, glancing at them darkly before she turned over to where Miranda's office was. She only wondered what it would be turned into now that the Commander had taken over the ship with his galaxy.

It was then that someone bumped shoulders with her. Jodie blinked, and almost without thinking she turned to the person she had bumped into.

"Oh, sorry, I..."

And then, Jodie looked up to see Karshia's glaring face. The praetorin gave her a severe look, and it was in that second that Jodie realized just how much she resembled her father. She had a feeling Karshia was less personable than him, though, and she briefly wondered what her deal was.

"You..." Karshia asked.

Jodie sighed, looking to the ground. "I've been distracted, I guess," she said. "It's weird when, ah... your whole crew gets replaced like that."

"I'll bet it is," Karshia replied. She then turned her head away, her tail flowing behind her. "Is that all?"

Jodie sighed, rubbing her arm. She knew she should probably say something about how Sa'lem was still safe, how she hadn't failed in her promises to him to keep him out of the parallel galaxy's clutches. But to do so with Eliem watching, and now that Jodie knew she was reporting directly to the Commander she was hesitant to say anything at all.

Still, she shrugged. "I saw a sea turtle once," she said. "Many of them... ah... Travel alone."

Karshia frowned. "The hell are you talking about?" she asked.

"Well, they travel across the sea so they're safe, you know," said Jodie. "When they're out of danger, they settle down, and... I mean, gulls like to pick on their nests, but they generally don't get to them, you know?"

Karshia frowned, before suddenly, her tail stilled behind her. "O-oh..." She nodded, turning back to face Jodie. "And... Do they communicate with their old friends?"

"I don't know," said Jodie, crossing her arms. "But I like to think they'd like to."

And here, Karshia smiled, letting her teeth show as she nodded. "I guess I'd like to, too," she said. "It's a nice thought, that they would."

"Yeah." Jodie then turned away. "Sorry, I had business in the office."

"Oh, that's not a business office, anymore," said Karshia. "But some of your Cerberus friends are in there." She shook her head. "Poor guys are crowded in there, though. I'm actually heading up to tell my f-my sergeant to transfer some of them elsewhere on the ship."

Jodie nodded. "There'll be room," she said. "I'm sure that won't be a problem."

Karshia nodded, pausing. She looked like she was contemplating saying something, but she did not ultimately say anything. "We're getting to the Cerberus Base in three hours," she said. "The Commander says you're wanted, so if I were you I'd mentally prepare myself."

With this, the praetorin turned, nodding her head once before pressing the call button on the elevator. Jodie turned, crossing her arms. She then sighed, before changing her mind and walking back to her quarters. She did need to clear her head, after all: thoughts buzzed about it, and as she stepped into her quarters she looked out to the stars.

She then sat on the couch, closing her eyes and breathing in and out slowly.

* * *

Shepard stood at the head of the table. Admiral Kalpalan stood by his side, his arms crossed as he looked about the room. Karshia, Tali, Jack, and Jodie filled in the rest of the ground team, and around her Jodie saw other assorted members of Shepard's galaxy gathered around the table. Eliem showed a hologram in the center of the table: it was a majestic space station, one that Jodie could have no doubt was the Illusive Man's base.

Jodie breathed in. "So this is it..." she said.

"Yes," said Shepard. "It's where that murderous  _snake_ has made his nest of lies." He shook his head, raising his hand. "Uplift humanity? Heh. I guess he was thinking as a supremacist, then."

He then shook his head. "No matter," he continued. "We'll be dealing with him, soon," said Shepard. She then looked at Eliem. "Eliem, tell these guys what the plan is."

Eliem's avatar appeared beside the base, pointing at the structure midway through. " _What we've determined is that it is better to attack our objective from multiple angles,_ " she began. " _We have other strike teams gathering on our other ships as we speak. They will attack from multiple entry points._ "

Jack then grinned, before leaning forward. "They  _better_ have left the best one for us," she said. "I didn't come here to  _not_ fuck up some Illusive brains!"

Shepard chuckled at this, as did Eliem. " _Don't worry about that, Jack,_ " Eliem replied. " _The other routes are meant to distract Cerberus forces from attacking your force. The plan is that you move stealthily up the base, make your way to the Illusive Man, and allow our Commander to present our justice to him._ "

Jodie frowned. "And that's the Reckoning..." she said, softly.

"We've already judged that to be a proper punishment, yes," Admiral Kalpalan replied. "The plan is simple, but we are bringing our best to this climb in case someone gets to the fold."

"Well, that, and we're expecting the Illusive Man's best to be guarding him," said Karshia. "The man wouldn't be so stupid as to go unprotected when we barge in."

"Of course," said Shepard. He then leaned forward. "All of you are to suit up immediately," he said. "Armory is right there. We'll be touching down at the Illusive Man's base in twenty minutes. I want everyone ready by then!"

"Yes, sir!" And all around Jodie, the soldiers from the other galaxy clapped back in a salute, their fists held over their hearts.

Jack chuckled, before standing up straight. "Dammit, Shepard, you're making me salute you now, too," Jack said. She then closed her fist over her heart, smiling at the Commander.

"And whatever you think, remember, we're all in it to the end," Shepard said. He then turned to everyone. "I won't waste my time with words. You've heard enough words over the past thirty years of your lives. Some of you have only ever heard words. Now, it's time for action." He then clenched his fist. "Cerberus' reign of terror will come to an end  _tonight_! And we will be there in the greatest moment of our history!"

The other soldiers around Jodie let out a loud cheer. As Jodie watched them, she sighed, rubbing her forearm gently. She forced a smile, before seeing Tali hug the Commander.

And as Shepard smiled down on Tali, Jodie felt a shiver rush down her spine.

* * *

"Well, Jodie, here we are. This all ends soon."

Jacob handed Jodie her submachine gun. Thane had just finished maintenance on her pistol, the drell checking it once and handing it back to her. "Indeed," said Thane.

Jodie took both weapons, looking at them slowly. Shepard had offered her the plasma rifles the galaxy used, but she still preferred her own mass accelerator weapons. It was too difficult to let go, after all she had done to adjust from old recoil back in her home.

She sighed.  _Home,_  she thought.  _Never thought I'd want to go back there, but this whole thing with Shepard... He could easily give Nathan a run for his money in the obsessed department._

Aiden gurgled gently. At this, Jodie stowed her weapon in the holster on her hip. "One way or another," said Jodie. She looked about the room, seeing the other soldiers suit up for the mission. She pondered again, how to speak in code to either of them. She then thought better of it, before looking up at Jacob. "Watch the ship, okay? I think one invasion for the day is enough."

And with this, Thane bowed his head. "I quite agree," he said. "We shall watch it with a steady eye."

Jacob nodded. "Don't you worry about a thing," he said.

"Thanks guys." She then breathed in, before looking at them. "Well, here we go. Only one way to see how this all ends..."

 _And I hope they got the double-meaning in that..._  Jodie thought briefly.

* * *

Jodie breathed in as the shuttle landed. She frowned, looking over to the pilot's chair, seeing the aqueron pilot pause nervously. She watched him look back to Shepard, before indicating the area in front of him.

"Uh, Commander... this is really quiet..." he said.

Shepard then looked outside of the viewport. "Too quiet," he said. He frowned, before looking to the others. "You'd think our landing would have triggered an alarm of some kind."

"Maybe they're concentrating on the other entry points?" asked Karshia as she walked up to them.

Shepard shook his head. "We're not  _that_ stealthy," he replied. He then walked to the shuttle door. "Come on. Let's get off."

Jodie stood up, and as she did this, Tali followed her. Jack followed right as the door opened, and then the whole party stepped out person by person. And here, Jodie looked around at their landing point. It was certainly some kind of dock, for sure, and beyond she could see some glass windows meant for surveillance. They were two-way mirrors, from what it looked like, and Jodie felt a strange loneliness in the darkness of the dock.

Shepard stepped ahead of her, glancing around her. He then looked up. "Eliem, run a power analysis here," he said.

" _Of course, Jon'ison,_ " she said. The group began to make their way up, before Eliem came in again. " _Huh, that's strange. The power to your landing point was cut._ "

Shepard frowned, but before he could say anything else the comm units buzzed to life. " _Jon'ison, this is the leader of Alpha Team. We're being met with nothing but silence, over._ "

" _Jon'ison, this is the leader of Beta Team. We're in the same situation, over._ "

Jodie frowned, looking around. "Wait..." She then looked up, Aiden gurgling lowly as the group ascended the staircase to the entrance of the base proper. "This isn't right..."

Shepard frowned, putting his hand to his ear. "Okay, how many of you are meeting silence?" he asked.

" _All of us, I think, Commander,_ " a third team leader said. " _I just heard from Delta, Charlie, and Epsilon, and they're all confirming we're going in with dead air._ "

Shepard frowned, breathing in. "Impossible..." He then paused at the foot of the stairwell, rubbing his chin. "Something's wrong. There's no way that we had an entry  _that_ quiet. Even when we came out of stealth, they would've seen us."

"Maybe they expected us?" asked Admiral Kalpalan.

Jodie then saw that Jack had noticed something. The tattooed biotic began to step forward, but Shepard did not notice anything.

"I don't think they would've," said Shepard. He shook his head, exhaling gently as he looked up. It was then he noticed Jack as she came up to something he could not see. "Jack, get back!" he said. "They could shoot at you."

But Jack knelt down, before shaking her head. "I don't think we've got any fuckers to kill, Shepard," she said. "There's a dead salarian here."

And at this, Jodie jolted. Everyone else around her did the same, Shepard's eyes opening wide. "What!?"

The Commander bolted up the stairs at this. Jodie and the others followed him, before they all came up and saw what Jack saw: there, right at the entrance to a doorway that was forever opened, was the body of a salarian, a hole cleanly running through his head. He laid there with the gun in his hand, his eyes still open. Jodie then looked up, following the salarian's posture to find a whole bevy of other bodies laying about. Some were Cerberus troops, their armor and weapons sporting holes. Others were salarians, turians, even an asari bent backwards over the railing. It was a rather grotesque scene.

Jodie stepped forward, resisting the urge to ask Aiden to give her a vision of what had happened. She did not need to ask, after all: it was pretty clear from the bodies of the other aliens there that the Council had received Jacob's message, and she already had a feeling she knew what awaited them in the Illusive Man's quarters.

Shepard looked up. "No..." He then stood up, bringing a hand to his ear set. "All strike teams, this is Jon'ison. We've found alien bodies all over here with the Cerberus men."

" _Copy that, Commander,_ " said the Beta team leader. " _We've found that on our end too._ "

" _Charlie confirms as much, and we've just found a bunch of turians here, too,_ " said the Alpha team leader.

Shepard then blinked, looking up the path. "No..." He then stood up, gesturing to the rest of the ground team. "Come on... Maybe they're still in here somewhere."

But much of the rest of the trip up to the Illusive Man's quarters was littered with the remains of what they had found at the entrance. It was more salarian bodies, more Cerberus bodies, and Jodie guessed that there was not a single living soul among the bodies strewn about. It was a long trek, and the complete silence with which the boarding party moved grew more and more tense by the second.

Jodie looked at Shepard on occasion: seemingly every single step the commander took was filled with increasing amounts of unfathomable disbelief. But as they neared the Illusive Man's quarters, his steps began to come down harder, his shoulders began to tense. At one point, Jodie thought that Shepard's arms had grown so stiff that even liquid nitrogen could not have made them stiffer.

And so, the parade of corpses went on, and it became clear to everyone else what Jodie knew: they were not going to find what they sought.

When Shepard finally got to the Illusive Man's quarters, he did not even order his men to stand at the door before entering: he simply opened the door. And as expected, the chamber was empty: the only thing anyone saw was black tiles, a single black chair, an ashtray on the chair's armrest, and Anadius itself, the sun glowing an angry orange.

Shepard stepped forward, looking around the room. He paused, Jodie inching a little towards Tali and Jack. She saw Admiral Kalpalan and Karshia step forward, both of them eyeing the Commander's every movement. Jack, too, looked around, glancing all about the room as some of the other praetoren.

Jack was the first to break the silence. "Well,  _this_ was a goddamn letdown," she said. "Where the fuck was the fight?"

Shepard said nothing, before approaching the chair. He growled shaking his head wildly, before he began to glow green.

Without warning, he rushed forward, abruptly kicking the chair in the center of the room away. It came clean off of the floor, the chair surrounding itself in green for a second before flying to the far end of the room. Everyone else was shocked into silence as it crashed hard into one of the black tiles on the far end with enough force to stick by the arm rest, and it was only after a second that Jodie had realized the ashtray had shattered on the floor, its pieces scattering about in a fine glass dust.

But Shepard was not finished. He then yanked forward, the chair surrounding itself with green as it then flew back towards him. As soon as it came back to him, Shepard grabbed it, before slamming it to the ground. He then began to brutally smash the chair into pieces, Jodie only cringing further with each hit. She noticed the others do similarly, until the chair became little more than a mangled mess, the tiles underneath barely faring any better.

Shepard let out an almighty scream as soon as the carnage was over, before he stood up and kicked the chair away again. After his lungs had run out of air, he fell to his knees, turning to his companions.

"Thirty years!" he shouted. "Thirty  _fucking_ years I waited to put that dog down! Thirty  _fucking_ years, I dreamed of the day I would get that son of a bitch his justice! And I get here, and he  _isn't fucking here!_ " He pulled his head in his hands, releasing another angry scream before smashing his fist into the floor.

Karshia sighed, before looking around the room, opening her handcom as she scanned for something,  _anything_ they could use. And as she did this, the rest of their boarding party stepped forward, examining the room.

Jack turned to with a frown. "Well, those dead salarians mean you didn't make him run off," she said. "I bet you anything those fucks have got him."

Shepard growled. "But that would be impossible!" he said. "The Council doesn't give a  _shit_ about what Cerberus does!" He shook his head. "But that doesn't matter. The matter is,  _someone_ beat us here. We held on to that information with an iron claw. We made it tamper-proof.  _Nobody_ could have accessed that!"

"Supreme Commander?" Karshia asked.

But Shepard ignored her. "And now they've  _ruined_ this day," he continued. He shook his head. "Oh, I  _knew_ we should never have bothered with these stupid Collectors! Just some stupid distraction by some stupid god machine things that probably don't even exist!"

"Supreme Commander," Karshia repeated.

Jodie stepped forward. "Shepard," she said. "The Reapers have  _got_ to be real. You've seen all the evidence! Hell, you  _fought_ one!"

"Whatever!" The Commander waved his hand dismissively. "I just want that fuck who slaughtered my people, my family, my friends!" He then growled. "Where the fuck do I-?"

"Jon'ison Shardan!"

Karshia stamped her foot for added effect. Admiral Kalpalan tensed up: Shepard turned on Karshia and rushed at her, stabbing his finger in her face. "Don't you  _dare_ raise your voice at me, little girl!" Shepard shouted.

"I apologize, sir, but I found no other way to get you to stop raging for long enough to tell you that I found  _this_ on the ground over here." Karshia proceeded to hold a datapad out to Shepard. She held firm, looking at the Commander quietly.

Immediately, the Commander frowned, before taking it out of Karshia's hand. He then turned to the admiral. "Your daughter has some nerve, but we'll talk about that another time," Shepard replied. "For now, what is on this...?"

With this, Shepard opened the datapad. It was unencrypted, and there was only a single audio message that appeared. Shepard frowned: it was an obvious indication that the datapad wanted to be found. Shepard then opened the audio message, which opened with a little static and someone getting into position.

" _Hey, Shepard._ " Jodie nearly did a double take at hearing Ashley Williams' voice through the message. She saw Tali lean back in response. " _It's Ashley Williams here. If I know you, I think I know what you're thinking right now as you enter this chamber._ "

Shepard's frown only deepened, but before he could say anything Ashley's voice continued. " _Well, Shepard..._ " And here Ashley paused, Jodie wondering if she would move along. " _...Or do you prefer Jon'ison Shardan? Because I've heard that's what you like to go by._ "

At this, Shepard reared back. "Wha... She knows...?" he asked.

" _Yeah, I know your story,_ " Ashley continued. " _You should've told us, Shepard. You should've told us about what happened thirty years ago. We could've fixed this a_ lot  _sooner if you had just said that, instead of pretending to be a human and making_ all  _of our lives harder. I'd go on, but my superiors don't want me to voice some of my..._ other  _opinions here._ "

Jodie could see Shepard's face contort in rage, saw how his breathing grew more laborious. " _Anyway, you're probably wondering where the Illusive Man is,_ " Ashley continued. " _Don't worry: we've got him. A little birdie told us he was here, and you waited this long to take care of him after you had his location for... what, six months?_ "

She then took a breath in. " _Anyway, the Council's waiting on the Citadel for you. Bring your friends from the other galaxy. The Illusive Man will be there, too. And don't worry about bringing him to justice. As soon as you get here, you'll get the Illusive Man, and you can do whatever you want with him. But after you get him, we're inviting you to talk to clear the air. Maybe our galaxies can reach some kind of agreement._ "

Shepard gripped the datapad with just enough force that Jodie swore he could have snapped it in half with his bare hands. " _Don't let us down, Shepard,_ " said Ashley. " _I've warned them that trusting you is a mistake, but they're insisting on this. Trust goes both ways, Shepard: we've extended a hand to you, now you have to reach and take it. You better make the right choice._ "

And with this, the audio message ended. Shepard growled, but he simply handed the datapad to Admiral Kalpalan.

"She knows..." said Shepard. "And the Council does too." He shook his head.

"This is not what the plan was meant to be," said Admiral Kalpalan.

"Yes, and millions of people died in the Great Purge," Shepard sardonically pointed out. He shook his head. "How? How did they find out? We kept the tightest lid we could on our existence, operated in the shadows for thirty years... but somehow, the Council... How...?"

And then, Shepard's omni-tool beeped. The Commander groaned, before opening it and seeing it was a comms call from the Normandy. He then connected, putting his hand to his ear. "Eliem, if you're going to tell me that the Reapers started invading already..."

" _No,_ " said Eliem. " _That is not what has happened. But, I have finally discovered something interesting: your computer was tampered with when you were away._ "

And here, Jodie had to curl her toes to avoid being outed as Eliem said this. "Tampered...?" Shepard continued. "When?"

" _When we were on the Collector ship,_ " Eliem replied. " _I began to scan your terminal as soon as I saw something was wrong on this mission. Your message which contained the location of this base had been accessed while you were away on the Collector ship. My surveillance recordings do not show who the culprit was, but he was someone who must have been able to maneuver in and out of a space with perfect precision, as my video shows no record of anything happening in your quarters._ "

Shepard frowned. "You're not thinking Thane, are you?" he asked.

" _It is likely, but if it is I doubt that he acted on his own, for he does not have the technological expertise required to take down those firewalls on your terminal,_ " Eliem continued. " _So I looked at how the information was accessed. Shockingly, none of the usual hacking strategies were found. We found password screens without anything filled in, code that had been rewritten on our end, backdoors opened where there should have been none._ "

The Commander breathed in, his eyes widening. "Wait, you don't mean..." Shepard leaned closer.

" _That, Shepard, is the surest sign that your terminal was touched by a spirit-touched._ "

"What!?" Shepard blinked in shock. "A spirit touched? Impossible!" He shook his head. "I was the only artician on board! Even if I  _were_ the only spirit-touched on that ship, and even if I wasn't away, what the  _hell_ would I be doing undermining my own cause like that?"

Tali stepped towards Shepard. "John, calm down," she said, gently stroking his arm.

Jodie half expected Shepard to turn and shout at Tali too. But instead, Shepard only breathed out, finally. He then closed his eyes, shaking his head as he looked out of the window, out at the sun that loomed in front of all of them. He then shook his head.

"I was to deliver justice..." he said weakly. "What the hell am I going to do now?"

"The Council has him," said Tali. "Not everything is lost yet."

"Tali, you miss the point," said Shepard. "This was supposed to..." He shook his head, dismissively waving her off. "Forget it. We're just going to have to-"

"No, Jon'ison, talk to me," said Tali. "What's going on in your head? I want to help you look at the bright side of all this."

"Yeah, find something that doesn't exist," Shepard replied, raising his voice slightly. "Because that worked out really well when-"

"Commander, step back! I know who your spirit-touched is, and she's  _right here_!"

Jodie then turned just in time to see Karshia lean forward, aiming some kind of pen-like object at her. Karshia pressed a button, with Aiden trilling in fright a split-second later. And then, Jodie felt something hit her, and she felt an immediate drowsiness that pulled her to the floor. Aiden's frightened trill suddenly seemed distant, and as she fell to the floor, Jodie could only hear the soft voice of Tali, a scream almost muted to silence.

Jodie became acutely aware of the feel of plexiglass tile on her arm, right before she slipped into unconsciousness.


	12. Chapter Twelve

 

_Jodie found herself surrounded by a black expanse once again. Her eyes darted around, and though there was no movement she knew that she was seeing exactly everything she could see. She thought to blink, and then stepped forward._

_As before, she encountered a staticky projection. Jodie breathed in nervously, and though she thought to touch it she thought better than to lift an arm she knew she could not lift. And then, she shuddered, looking up at it._

Aw, dammit, it's this again,  _she thought._ Please don't let it be too vague like last time...

_Jodie then looked up at the static, but before she could say anything the static gave way to an actual image. There, she saw a group of scientists, standing in front of a laboratory table. She reeled back, before realizing that the scientists were dressed in Cerberus uniforms, the insignia displayed prominently on their chests. Jodie recoiled slightly, leaning back in shock as she looked at the events taking place in front of her._

_There, she saw a man in a stylish black suit step forward. He had no Cerberus insignia, but from the way the scientists parted to make way for him Jodie could tell he was someone big within Cerberus. She breathed in as he stepped up to one scientist in particular, one who was examining something on something that looked halfway between a terminal and an old desktop. The scientist did not move much when the suited man came to stand behind him, but he only moved to the side slightly as he did._

_The suited man looked on, gently flicking at a cigarette in his mouth. "You're still working," he said._

_"Just running some last-minute tests, sir," the coder replied. "You never can be too careful with something that's supposed to do something on this scale."_

_The suited man nodded. "Then it will be completed?" he asked._

_"Yes, sir," said the coder. "And that should be... now." With this, a new data set appeared on the terminal. "And according to this, it will go off without a hitch."_

_And then, Jodie looked to the other man, before seeing a blue glint in his eyes that was not covered by the lighting above. She breathed in nervously, before recognizing why he stood out so much._

Is that...?  _Jodie thought._ No way...

_The Illusive Man nodded. "So it will succeed?" he asked._

_"Yes," said the coder. "It should disconnect them all from the neural network. At most, I expect it'll take them years to unlearn what it is they've held on to for so long. But maybe some already know, and if they do, they can help the others..."_

_"Of course," said the Illusive Man. He then stepped away, looking up at the ceiling. "I talked to Mi'kael the Wise yesterday, by the way. You're right: perhaps he does sound similar to some of the old leaders of your past."_

_"The one I described to you?" the coder asked._

_"Yes," said the Illusive Man. "Delusional, short-tempered, odd hobbies... I worry about his son Jon'ison. Pity him, actually. Poor kid isn't old enough to know what his whole world is constructed on..."_

_Here, Jodie did a double-take. Her hands tightened gently, and her arms tensed sharply as she looked on._ He... he actually pitied him?  _she thought._ There's no way that's possible. He killed them all, right?

_"And to think, they eventually wanted to give it to us without us questioning it..." The coder then pulled an OSD out, handing it to the Illusive Man. "Our team will handle distributing the virus to other espionage teams in this other galaxy. You get to hang on to this one. Think of it as a souvenir, sir."_

_The Illusive Man nodded, before storing it in his breast pocket and extending his hand to the coder. "Thank you, Eun-Jong," he said. "And let us pray that everything after this will turn out alright."_

_And with this, the projection vanished, Jodie stepping forward slowly. She extended a hand out to the projection, only catching its final wisps before she brought her hand back down._

They didn't even mention the deaths...  _Jodie thought._ It almost sounded like they expected something else to happen...

_"They did. Their mistake was not knowing the right course of action to take."_

_Jodie whirled around just in time to see the purple cloud from her last conversation in her subconscious form right behind her. Jodie breathed in instantly, looking right at her._

_"You again..." Jodie said. She leaned forward. "You know all about what's happened, don't you?"_

_"I do," said the purple cloud. "And I regret that was not able to contact your Jack Harper before it was too late to stop him from making the biggest mistake he could have."_

_Jodie frowned. "Jack Harp..." She frowned. "That's his name?"_

_"Yes." The purple cloud floated past Jodie, and she turned to meet its gaze. "You know the secret behind their galaxy, but there is more to uncover. They found it, but they did not know everything. In order to know everything, you must find the programmer Eun-Jong Song. You will get answers from him."_

_"And what if we don't find them from him?" Jodie asked._

_"Your quarian friend has discovered a piece of the puzzle." With this, the purple cloud began to dissipate. "They will both have the answers you need to understand and resolve this peacefully."_

_Jodie extended her hand to the cloud. "Wait!" she said. "Why can't_ you  _give me those answers!? You're right here!"_

_"I only have limited time and energy," she said. "But I will tell you this: if you see me again, you will know you have succeeded on at least some level." With this, she vanished. "I must go. May the spirits guide your way to the truth."_

_With this, the cloud vanished, leaving Jodie in the dark. She grumbled, shaking her head._

Great _, she thought._ I've got a weight on my shoulders, and I'm going to have to literally knock myself out to find out if I did a good job. Wonderful.

_She then sat back down, stewing a little bit. She then thought to the name that she had given her: Eun-Jong Song. She patted her knee, internalizing it. Perhaps Miranda knew where he was, and she could always ask her where..._

_Suddenly, she heard a great rush of water. She did not know where from, but she turned rapidly around. She stood up, making to run but finding herself rooted to the spot._

_Thus, the only thing she could do as the water rushed over her body-_

* * *

-was pull her head back groggily, the water droplets dripping from her hair. She let out a cough, blearily opening her eyes.

"Alright, sir, it looks like she's awake."

Jodie slowly sat back up, still feeling lethargic in her movements. She faintly noticed that there was some bracelet that stabbed into her wrist, but she could not concentrate on that for long before the second, much more important thing made itself known to her: she was bound, hands behind her back and legs straight to a wall. She then looked up, recognizing where she sat as a part of the ship she did not know. She guessed it was wherever the AI was stored: Miranda had forbade anyone except the Commander to step in there, and it was then she faintly noticed that she was attended by two guards.

And there, standing in front of her, was Commander Jon'ison Shardan himself. He had discarded the Cerberus armor, having done himself up in some strange gold-plated armor that honestly looked a little ridiculous on him. Jodie would have laughed at how silly it made him look, but she could not summon the will to do so. She also faintly noticed that Aiden seemed unusually quiet: the bracelet dug into her wrist, and then she suddenly had the feeling what that must have been in her body.

Jon'ison nodded. "Good," he said. "Get out of here. I want to speak to her alone."

The two guards then saluted him, before stepping out of the room. When the door closed behind them, Jon'ison stepped forward, shaking his head ruefully. He glared hard at Jodie, to which only then did she finally lift her gaze. She saw pure, unbridled anger glow in his eyes, and for a second she thought they were tinged with an unnatural red light, a new scar forming just above his left eyebrow.

He chuckled. "So, 'trust goes both ways', huh?" He walked to the other wall, shaking his head. "You know, I almost believed you for a second. I almost trusted Tali when she told me to trust you, just as much as I would trust her." He shook his finger. "But you see, Jodie, I'd always suspected you from the beginning.

"I first suspected something was off when Kaidan couldn't find any records of your existence until the Citadel," he said. "You're undocumented, and I don't like undocumented people. Then, there was that whole business on Feros with the Thorian: it seems your stealth was a little  _too_ convenient there. Still, I let it slide, because it got the job done. Then there was our hostility that came about, and some worries Tali told me you'd expressed about me. I let that aside, until I died and was brought back. And then we met on Freedom's Progress, you with your gaggle of quarians."

He chuckled then. "I could tell your excuse was lame, but I was so happy I found someone I thought I could trust I let it slide," he continued. "But then the evidence piled up after our conversation after Haestrom. It was nothing, of course, until we tried to get that drell kid from Thessia. That mission ended too cleanly for comfort, and I began to distrust you." He shook his head. "I expected the facade to drop after I made sure Eliem watched the Captain's quarters on the ship, but I have to give you credit, you somehow slipped under her radar through sheer dumb luck. And now, I can't believe that of all places, it was Cronos Station where I finally answered that question of whether to trust you or not."

And then he leaned in, his mouth hovering over his ear. "Karshia told us after she had stunned you that you and others were the people to coerce the Traitor K'lek to lead her to open the subspace bomb at gunpoint," he said. "And suddenly, a lot of things made sense. Your motivation for coming on board this pretender, who Liara gave that information to, how the Council knows about us, how you  _robbed_ me of my chance for  _justice!_ "

He then pulled back, shaking his head. "Trust goes both ways,  _indeed_ ," he said. _"_ I was a  _fool_ to think you were trustworthy! You were plotting to take me down this entire time, weren't you?" He then began to giggle harshly. "Heh... And a human spirit-touched, too. The doctors ran all sorts of tests, but nothing came back with Artician DNA, so it is true: there are human spirit-touched after all!"

He chuckled, before leaning forward. "You have no room to lecture me on trust, little lady," he said. "Tali feels like a fool now that she sees who you  _really_ are: just a deceitful little bitch with a magic pixie who magically solves her problems for her."

He then pulled away, turning away from her and walking to the door. "Thane is in custody," he said. "He got in the way of us procuring the Traitorous Ru'val's son, of course, but I think you already knew that, didn't you? But Eliem thinks there must have been a third conspirator, and she hasn't any clue who it might be."

Jodie perked up slightly, the first motion with the rest of her body she'd made since she was woken up with the bucket of water.  _Jacob is okay?_ she thought.

As she thought this, Jon'ison shook his head. "But we won't get it out of you," he continued. "Soon, you will be carted off to a vessel that will take you back to our galaxy. We do not need you to tell us who it is: drell have perfect memory, and I bet you one of our team can trigger one of his solipsisms. Once we have found your third conspirator, you will all be taken to tribunal. We shall see how kind our justice is to you then."

With this, Jon'ison turned. And suddenly, Jodie blinked, realizing something: there she was, having personally betrayed the Commander. The hurt and anger had barely registered, but Jodie could tell he was keeping it as elegant as possible, perhaps for people on the other side of the door. And everything from the ridiculous golden armor, the fact that he had lectured her on trust, the fact that  _he was actually willing to wait to see her come to justice for betrayal..._

Jodie chuckled, leaning forward. This stopped Jon'ison in his tracks, who then turned to Jodie.

"What is so funny now?" he asked.

"You're willing to wait to judge me for treason," She shook her head. "Treason is the worst crime you can commit, right?"

"Yes," said Jon'ison.

"And in most places it's punishable by death, isn't it?" Jodie asked.

Jon'ison frowned, rearing back on Jodie and leaning in towards her. "What're you getting at?" she asked.

Here, Jodie chuckled even louder. "It's really funny, is all," she said. "How you want to wait to try me." She threw her head back, before leaning closer. "Tell me, Jon'ison Shardan: did you even once think of extending that same courtesy to Balak?"

And here, Jon'ison nearly jumped back. "W-what!?" he asked.

Jodie growled. "I wanted to tell you about Aiden," she replied. "God, you have no idea how much I wanted to by the time we left Terra Nova, I really, really did. But Aiden kept warning me not to. And then, I saw why when he showed you performing the Reckoning on Balak without a single second tribunal."

"Th... That's impossible!" said Jon'ison.

And here, Jodie grinned. "But think about it, Supreme Commander Jon'ison Shardan; wouldn't it be true that you'd know something about that?" Jodie asked. "After all, as a fellow spirit-touched, you would know that getting visions of the past is one of our abilities, right?"

"Well, yes, but I don't see how-"

And then Jon'ison stopped, his eyes widening. His legs immediately tensed up, and he exhaled sharply, his hands extended out to Jodie.

Jodie's grin evolved into a full-on smirk. She sat back, her point having been made as she shuffled her posture. "And that, is among  _other_ things I've noticed that don't add up," she said.

"Jodie..." Jon'ison replied.

"I thought I was the only one, for so much of my life," said Jodie. "People used me to do their dirty work across my entire life. I don't trust people that hide things from me, and you hid things from me, Jon'ison. You hid things from  _all_ of us, and I had to unearth it thanks to Aiden." She shook her head. "You never even told Tali about the Reckoning you used on Balak, did you?"

"Uh... I... I-"

Jodie cut him off with a sardonic chuckle. "I knew it," Jodie said. "And you never told her that you're not actually spirit-touched, are you?"

"Jodie, look here-"

"I bet you never even thought to tell Tali about how you killed Vigil too, right?" Jodie asked, her grin growing ever bigger by the second.

"But if the-!"

"And if you can't tell Tali about that-Tali, who  _loves_ you and  _cares_ about you to the point she left the  _Fleet_  for you-then why should I trust that you would tell the rest of  _us_ , huh?" asked Jodie.

"Jodie-"

"And when were you planning on telling the rest of your galaxy that you're a pretend spirit-touched?" she asked. "When were you going to tell them how fake you are? Or were you going to keep them out of the dark too?"

"Jodie!"

"And you've told those lies to so many people by now I bet even  _you_ believe them, don't you?" She then grit her teeth. "I bet you've convinced them that you're such hot shit so well that you see yourself as real hot shit, huh?" she continued. "Well, let me tell you something: I look at you, and all I see is a selfish, phony, pathetic little  _child_  who is unqualified to be your galaxy's leader! You don't know the first thing about trust, because you've told so many lies without consequence that you don't even know what the truth feels like anymore! You're a pathetic con man, Jon'ison Shardan, and that is all you will  _ever_ be!"

" ** _Shut the fuck up!_** "

Jon'ison rushed forward, his fist turning green. Jodie quickly shifted her torso out of the way, noticing that the Commander's hand had gone right through the wall. He panted in and out hard, and as she turned to face him Jodie could see his eyes glow red. She felt a momentary ping of fear; wondering if that was what Balak had felt as he'd looked into Jon'ison's eyes.

But it was with a second of waiting that she realized there was nothing else happening: his eyes were not glowing red, and they were nowhere near as bright as they had been in her vision. He was waiting: he was waiting, and she knew it almost without telling.

"I should just use the Reckoning right now!" said Jon'ison. "I should just use it on you and get it over with!  _That's_ what I want to do, but that stupid child of the admiral  _insisted_ I wait, and he backed  _her_ up! Maybe I should just do what you suggested, you unrepentant little bitch."

And there, Jodie found her voice. Immediately, she rushed forward at him, getting him to stand back a little. "Then go ahead!" Jodie shouted directly at Jon'ison, the hot, angry tears spilling down her face before she could control herself. "Use the Reckoning! Break my mind, just like you broke the wall, that chair, that door on the first Normandy, and everything else you destroy when you're angry! Do it! Go on! I'm waiting, you lying son of a bitch!"

Jon'ison hovered over her, but something in his eyes shifted. He also pulled back, his jaw hanging agape. He hovered over her for a second, Jodie unsure of what he would do next.

Finally, Jon'ison pulled back, his eyes returning to normal. With a yank, he managed to pull his arm out of the hole in the wall, before he shook it off. Jodie saw him shake his head in distaste, looking back at Jodie.

"This isn't  _fucking_ over," Jon'ison replied. "You lied to me."

"I only wish I could see it when the Council's going to throw that exact same sentence at you," said Jodie. "They would have gladly helped you with Cerberus if you had told them what they had done. But instead, you lied to  _everyone_  for thirty years, pretended to be a human, and subverted their authority every chance you got. But then again, I guess that comes  _easy_ to someone who can't even tell his own  _countrymen_ that he's not actually spirit-touched, right?"

With this, Jon'ison turned around. He then frowned, glancing back at Jodie with a mirthless smile.

"In the Artician Book of Platitudes, there is a saying," he said. "It is a saying wise men know well: 'all things have a source'. And we plan to get the source."

He then turned away, leaving the room without a word. Jodie saw a few prisoners in the med bay, including Joker and Dr. Masson, before the door closed behind Jon'ison and left Jodie alone. She then shook her head, leaning back and facing down. She then looked behind her, to the contraption on her wrist that was still stabbing into it.

"Well, at least it's not a drug this time," she said. She expected a reply from Aiden, but heard nothing as the minutes began to tick away.

* * *

Jacob looked down at his weapon, scrubbing it out gently as he frowned. "Do we have to do this to these stocks  _every_ time?" he asked.

Karshia nodded, sitting on a crate nearer the window as she inspected her own weapon. "The chemical compound we use in the chamber is corrosive, and we've  _never_ found a material that can't store it that doesn't weight a ton," she replied. "Put it this way: if you don't season them with that ammonium foam literally every time you're done using these the chamber could burst open when you're not expecting it. And let me tell you, having your hand burn off due to acid compounds hurts like a bitch, from what I've been told."

Jacob cringed, looking back at Karshia. "Your people  _use_ this?" he asked.

Karshia gave him a shrug. "Can't be any more dangerous than a mass accelerator weapon blowing up in your face if you don't maintain it enough," she said. She shrugged. "We actually got to study the technology a little better after the trai... after  _Jodie_ left our galaxy. It's... it's actually a lot more sophisticated than it looks at first. I thought these things would be riddled with jamming problems, but no: they actually do shoot pretty clean, when you clean them."

"I guess there's something to be said for these things, too," said Jacob. He looked at the capsule. "Who knew that an acid that powerful could do that when it's superheated?"

"The wonders of weapon technology." She chuckled. "Well, I gotta stock these back in the cooling cases. You can go ahead and report to fa-the admiral, and I will be out shortly."

But here, Jacob smiled at the near slip. "You got it, Karsh," he said. He then turned to the door, before leaving the room.

And as the door closed behind Jacob, Karshia lifted up the cooling box, placing it on the work bench that Jacob had managed to keep immaculately clean even through the handling of acidic liquid. She looked to the compound storage units, doing a last check to make sure the clamps were secured in place.

As she did this, she sighed, before thinking back to the chaos that had happened. Tali's scream of terror when Karshia had used the dampener on Jodie, the way she'd had to explain what Jodie had done in the other galaxy... Tali was in tears by the end of it, and while Jon'ison had said something to her about how Jodie had been trying to pull them apart the whole time, something about the way Tali had gazed back as they had carried Jodie's unconscious form into the AI Core said that she wasn't ready to give up on Jodie.

And as she thought on this, Karshia's mind began to turn on something that had been bothering her for a while. And as she lifted the first compound storage unit and placed it into the cooling unit, she began to wonder why Jodie and Jon'ison had never noticed each other. It was a thought that had originated back in the galaxy, but seeing Jodie again, and seeing Shepard not even make a single reference to Jodie being spirit-touched, even seeming genuinely  _surprised_  when Karshia had used the dampener on her. Shepard's original reaction had been shock, and to yell at Karshia before she'd gotten to explain it.

Karshia hesitated, before blinking and pulling her hands out of the box. They felt unusually cold, and as she shook them in the air to warm them up she looked to the AI terminal.

"Eliem," she said. "Can I talk to you for a moment? In secret?"

Eliem's form appeared, and she looked pensive: her back leaned against an imaginary wall, and her brows were arced in concentration. " _Let me guess,_ " said Eliem. " _It's about how Jon'ison didn't seem to realize Jodie was spirit-touched?_ "

Karshia nodded. "It's been bugging me since she raided our galaxy, but now it's bugging me more," she said.

" _I am confused as well,_ " said Eliem. " _If Jon'ison is indeed a spirit-touched, then he should have known Jodie was spirit-touched from the second they met. But she hovered under his radar for at least a year. Something doesn't add up, and in this case I don't think it's from Jodie's end._ "

Karshia nodded. "What do we do about it, then?" she asked.

" _I do not know,_ " said Eliem. " _What can we do? He is our Supreme Commander: we must follow him at all costs._ "

Karshia sighed, shaking her head. "Following him could have gotten Sa'lem to vanish," she said. "And I don't know if I could've taken that..."

" _Whatever the case, that is the course we must stay,_ " said Eliem. " _I don't like this, but I will stay loyal to the end. I don't know what end that will be, but it is an end._ "

The praetorin sighed. She then began to move another compound storage unit into the cooling box, dropping it gently. Right as she pulled her arms out to get the next unit, though, Eliem then stood bolt upright.

" _Oh, Karshia?_ " asked Eliem.

Karshia sighed as she deposited the third unit with a little less grace than she'd intended. "What is it?" she asked, pulling her arms out again.

" _When you're done here, Jon'ison wants you to move Miranda to the AI Core with Jodie,_ " said Eliem. " _She_ _may not be on the same tribunal in the end, but Shepard wants her where he can keep a close eye on her. She's to remain biotically dampened at all times. The wrist band should take care of that._ "

Karshia nodded, before lifting her arms out. "As you command, Eliem."

With this, Karshia picked up another unit. As she placed it in, she paused, feeling something in her uniform. She paused, feeling the small tube within her uniform. She wondered if she had cracked it open, but thought better of it when she considered that... well, the thing that had not come to pass had not happened yet.

As she thought on the object, Karshia looked back, frowning as she lowered the unit. Suddenly, she began to see at least some of what Sa'lem spoke about. Eliem knew Shepard was lying about the spirit-touched part, yet she proclaimed that her reaction to hearing that Jon'ison had lied was to do nothing at all. And if she continued on, Karshia knew she would follow that path.

 _And what would Sa'lem say if he saw that?_  she thought.

The frown on her face began to spread. And as she set the unit on the desk, she pondered what her next course of action should be.

* * *

Jodie was busy fiddling with the wrist band that was obviously dampening Aiden when she heard the door open. There she looked up, seeing Karshia carry Miranda in over her shoulder. The white catsuit was a little bit torn up, but as Karshia set her down on the floor, Jodie could see that Miranda otherwise looked okay.

Miranda sighed, placing her head against a console as Karshia wiped her hands together. "Well, that's that," Karshia said. "Sorry. Commander's orders. He wants you both where he can see you."

Miranda shifted. "I don't know if I should be flattered or disturbed," she said. "I've heard enough comments about cheerleaders to last me a lifetime now, and I can't imagine he'll let them up."

"Sorry," said Karshia. "Nothing any of us can do about that." She then paused, looking to Jodie. "Hey."

Jodie frowned upon looking at the praetorin. "Hi." Her reply was clipped.

Karshia glanced to the side. "I... Sorry about everything on Cronos Station. Once they knew that, I couldn't stay silent."

"I bet you are." Jodie turned her nose up at Karshia, her attention turning to the ceiling. "And after everything I did for Sa'lem, too..."

Karshia sighed, shaking her head. "Look, I..." She then paused, turning to look at Eliem's core. "I know we've had a rocky relationship. And I'm sorry for that. It's been weird. But I'd like to think we can at least get along, after all you did for Sa'lem." She then paused, looking back to Miranda before frowning. "I was reading about... oysters earlier, actually."

Miranda and Jodie frowned. "Oysters?" she asked. "What do those have to do with anything?"

"I was just reading about how they make pearls," said Karshia. She began to pace around the room seemingly without purpose. "Interesting process, really. It's... kind of an interesting way to reach their full potential. But I find it interesting that they can't do it without  _sand_  of a particular  _type_..."

Jodie's eyes widened immediately, and then she shook her head. "Karshia, I don't-"

"But to think they need something so rough to get something so pleasant..." She then began to move towards Miranda. "I also hear how they stick themselves in their beds in the ocean. They probably don't mind getting the pearls out that much, but..."

Miranda frowned, backing up against the wall instinctively. "But...?" she asked.

And then, Karshia quickly pulled a small little box out of her utility kit, before gently letting it linger over the back of Miranda's shoulder. Miranda's eyes widened as soon as she felt this, and she only had a few seconds to react before the praetorin dropped the box. Miranda caught it with ease, and then she breathed out softly.

"Oysters don't like to be plucked, I guess," said Karshia. She then turned around. "I'll be downstairs. Maybe you'll see me again when it comes time to get onto that transport. I hear it'll take about... ten minutes from when the Commander gets here?"

And with this, Karshia exited the room. Jodie and Miranda turned to each other, and then they both turned to Eliem. Miranda began fiddling with the box, working to figure out how to get it open without looking at it.

And as she did this, she looked up at Jodie. "How long until the Commander comes for us?" she asked.

"I... I don't know," he said. "Eliem said fifteen minutes right before you got in..."

"Good," said Miranda. "Hopefully he won't be too rough."

Jodie nodded, before leaning back.

As she did this, Miranda turned to her. "So you were spirit-touched the whole time, huh?" she asked. "That was your big secret?"

Jodie released a loud sigh. "Everyone knows, don't they?" she asked.

"The other guys can't keep quiet about it and we overheard, so yeah, everyone knows," Miranda replied. "So what's your story?"

Jodie sighed. "This is going to take a while to explain..."

* * *

It was right as Jodie was about to consider whether to tell Miranda that she had worked with the CIA that the door opened again. Both women turned to see Jon'ison march back into the room. The Supreme Commander was still wearing his ridiculous golden armor and his glare at Jodie was especially nasty. Jodie only responded by glaring back at him, and he crossed his arms.

"Hope you enjoyed the company, traitor," he said.

"Thank you, liar," said Jodie. "It was unusually thoughtful of you to bring her in. You feel bad after our earlier argument?"

"Only a little," said Jon'ison. "Do you?"

Jodie grinned grimly. "No."

Jon'ison exhaled, before shaking his head and turning to Miranda. "Well, very well," he said. "So, I took a peek through your Cerberus files. Heh, turns out the Illusive Man did a lot more for you than I thought he did." He then held up a datapad. "We'd heard of Henry Lawson before, but our intelligence had blackballed him for shady criminal activities. Didn't think he'd create a woman to take over his works, though."

"He never wanted a daughter," Miranda replied as she pulled back against the console. "He wanted a dynasty. I had to escape."

"Hm." He then flipped the datapad around. "Really now? Because according to communications we received from your personal terminal, I'm betting you weren't the  _only_ one there."

Miranda's eyes widened, and her movements stopped. "What?" she asked. "How did you access them?"

"Miranda, I have an advanced AI who lives in my omni-tool," Jon'ison replied. "He hacked into it pretty easily." He then turned around. "So... Niket on Illium, huh? Is that what you were going to ask at some point?"

Jodie frowned. "What?" she asked.

"Going off to save a sister," said Jon'ison. He then grinned, looking at Miranda. "You'd do anything for her, wouldn't you?"

"Leave her alone," said Miranda, gritting her teeth and leaning forward. "As far as I know, she doesn't even know about my existence. Leave her out of this!"

"Ah, but Miranda, isn't it obvious?" Jon'ison asked. "You've got a sister. That's why you held allegiance to Cerberus for so long, right? They helped protect her. Well, I'm certain you'll be happy to hear we plan on protecting her, too."

Jodie blinked in shock, before shaking her head. "Don't fall for it, Miranda," she said. "Whatever you do, don't fall for it!"

"Shut up, bitch, nobody asked you." Jon'ison spat at Jodie, before he turned his attention back to Miranda. "Anyway, if you help us finish off the many cells that make up Cerberus, we will take over the job of protecting this girl you saved on your way out of your father's protection. We can guarantee her safety, as well as the safety of anyone that knows her. You in?"

Miranda hesitated, before breathing in and looking up at Shepard. Her eyes turned to the floor, and then she frowned. "You make it sound like the only loyalty I held to the Illusive Man was to protect myself," she said. "I had other reasons. I believed what Cerberus was doing, at least I did when I first joined. And I had a good life with Cerberus."

She then shifted her posture slightly, bending her legs and pulling back slightly so she sat on her hands. "But then I found out about that Great Purge from your guards," she said. "And I wondered then what I'd been fighting for. The Illusive Man never told me about that. And when I thought about it, I realize he'd just put me in a prison, just given me more freedoms."

Here, she straightened up. "And here, you're threatening to leave my sister out to dry if I don't line up with you," she said.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," said Jon'ison. "We're offering to help you with her."

"Coming from the man who hid his origins from our galaxy for thirty years, I doubt your offer is genuine," she said. "As such, I'm refusing to offer."

Jon'ison only leaned closer. "You'd be a fool to refuse," he said.

"I'd be a fool to accept," Miranda replied. She then glared at Jon'ison. "I'd like to see you try to take me down with you."

Jon'ison leaned forward. "Is that a challenge?"

And here, Miranda grinned. "Yes, Commander," she said. "Especially unconscious."

With this, Miranda pulled her legs back, and in one motion had pulled her hands up from behind her. Jon'ison growled and grabbed at her hands, but before he could do anything she snapped some kind of tube open. Jon'ison immediately breathed in, and then felt something freeze up in his lungs.

It wasn't until he stumbled back in shock that he realized that the air in front of Miranda was occupied by a familiar red cloud that he realized what he'd breathed in. And as it moved about, Miranda leaned forward, inhaling as much of the red cloud as she dared. In response, she began to glow blue, more than was usual, perhaps.

Shepard coughed. "What...?"

With a cry, Miranda pulled at her cuffs: her hands glowed blue, and after a few seconds of agonizing waiting she was able to pull her restraints apart. With this, she yanked off the bracelet that Jodie noticed on her left hand, before she stood up over a Shepard who had begun to cough uncontrollably. She then smirked, glowing blue for a second as she looked down at him, completely incapacitated to do anything from both the red sand and the kick to the gut.

"Sorry, Shepard, but becoming your ally would just make me your cheerleader," she said. "And I've had enough of being called a cheerleader. Goodbye, Commander. Consider this my rejection."

With this, Miranda delivered a biotically-powered kick that knocked the air out of Jon'ison's lungs. He coughed some more, and Miranda watched him cough.

Miranda then turned to Jodie, glowing biotically as she grabbed at Jodie's heels. She pulled apart, the restraints there coming a part. Jodie barely had time to process this before Miranda had done this to her wrists too. Miranda looked back to the door, before looking at the bracelet attached to Jodie.

"Hold on, this could sting a little."

With this, Miranda yanked  _hard_ at the bracelet. Under the sheer force of the biotic pull, the top of it almost disintegrated, and Jodie could see little blue sparks dance about in the air before the rest of the bracelet came undone. Jodie winced at the sensation of something being pulled out of her body, and her immediate reaction was to pull her arm up and grunt in pain.

And it was then that Aiden's overjoyed trill entered her awareness. She looked up, and for the first time since the Illusive Man's room she felt complete again.

"Hey Aiden," said Jodie with a smile. "Glad you're back."

Aiden whistled, before giving a few pops.

Jodie looked to Miranda, nodding as she approached the door to what had been their holding cell. "So, for the record, we have no escape plan, no idea on where we're going to go, and no idea on how we're going to fight these guys once we do escape," she said. She then flashed a smile at Miranda. "Shall we dance?"

And here, Miranda flashed a grin at Jodie. "Let's," she said.

Miranda opened the room. The soldiers in the med bay turned around in shock, but before they could do anything Miranda tossed a warp right at them. This threw all of the soldiers to the opposite door. Eliem screamed out in shock, and Jodie looked right at the terminal on the side of the door. Before she could say anything else, the door in front of them turned red.

" _You!_ " said Eliem. " _You can't escape this-"_

Before Eliem could say anything more, Aiden trilled loudly. With a loud mechanical groan, Jodie watched the berth in front of her get uprooted from the floor. She then looked up to the glass.

"Miranda, weaken that glass somehow!" Jodie shouted.

"That will be tough," said Miranda. "But if this works..."

Miranda glowed a bright blue, before suddenly heaving a huge warp at the glass. The glass cracked across its surface as the warp dissipated, and shortly afterwards Aiden launched the berth through the window. The glass shattered completely around the berth, and Jodie could only grin at the way the glass shattered around the berth as it landed where Sergeant Gardner used to work.

Jodie turned to Eliem, winking at her. "Nice try, bitch." She then moved forward, but paused. She then quickly grabbed a gun from one of the unsuspecting soldiers, checking its stock as she looked at the unusual weapon.

 _Great, gotta learn how to shoot it on the fly again,_  she thought.

But other than that, she gave a small shrug, jumping onto one of the berths and leaping into the mess hall as Miranda did the same thing.

As they did this, Jodie and Miranda turned to each other. "We need to find Thane and Joker," she said. She then looked up. "You can do that, right, Aiden?"

Aiden chirped once, before he began to move about. Miranda blinked, looking to Jodie. "Joker and Thane?" she asked. "Shouldn't we worry about getting off this ship first?"

"As an ally, I'm not leaving Thane here," Jodie replied. "And I don't want to leave Joker to whatever fate Shepard has in store for him, because you  _know_ he's not going to get it well from Shepard."

Miranda frowned, looking to the ground. "Joker will be a liability, so you know," Miranda replied. "He is on medication to help him, and-"

"-I'm sure they know that, so they'd keep a supply of it around," said Jodie. "And if we need more, I've got the Council on my side. I don't exactly need to hide myself in Citadel Space to hide myself from Alliance or other allied doctors."

Miranda nodded. "All right," she said. "I hope you can find them."

Aiden chirped triumphantly as he finished scanning the decks. Jodie nodded, before rushing to the elevator and hitting the call button. "Well, lucky for you, Aiden can do that pretty quick," she said. "Turns out they're both on the deck below, being watched over by Jack, of all people."

Miranda then smiled grimly as she followed. "Oh, her?" she asked. "I can't wait to show her what I do with my-"

"No!" Jodie replied. She then looked at Miranda, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Leave that to me. Aiden can take care of her." She then looked at the elevator door, before pulling back and readying her gun. "Right now, there are probably soldiers swarming the inside of that lift. We should step back and take care of them."

Aiden trilled once, before Miranda followed Jodie's lead. "Alright," Miranda grinned, looking at a ball of energy that formed inside her hand. "Let's do this!"

With this, the elevator door opened. Jodie opened fire with her weapon, and was almost immediately surprised by how much less kickback there was. Her second and third shots actually rode a little low, and while the first one had gotten a direct hit on a soldier's torso the remaining shots actually just barely skimmed a few legs. Jodie shook her head, and had moved to adjust when a whole bunch of soldiers suddenly slammed back against the walls. They glowed biotically for a second, before Jodie blinked in surprise, looking at how many of the praetorin soldiers had been knocked unconscious.

Jodie frowned, before looking at the way blue energy seemed to crackle off of Miranda's body. Miranda only grinned, before walking back to the elevator. The elevator doors began to close, but Miranda got there first, keeping the doors open through sheer force. She grunted from the force, but eventually she was able to throw the doors open, so much so that Jodie thought she heard a loud crashing noise.

And then, Miranda grinned at Jodie. "Come on. Let's go."

Jodie only paused, feeling a kind of uncertainty come over her as her brows pulled back.  _Aiden, remind me_ never  _to let Miranda get near red sand again,_  she thought.

Aiden only clicked once, before Jodie picked up a last canister and jumped into the elevator after Miranda.

* * *

Thane looked up, seeing Jack hovering right in front of his face. He could only lean back, his second eyelids nictating in surprise as she leaned in close. She laid both hands against the table behind Thane, and in the corner Thane could hear Joker sigh in annoyance.

"Okay, can you stop molesting him now?" Thane could hear Joker ask. "It's  _really_ not that funny."

"Hey, I'm just giving him something to remember," Jack replied. She then stepped back, grinning as she looked down at Thane. "Gotta give myself  _something_ to do while we wait for Shepard to get down here to start interrogating him." She stood back. "Don't you worry, frog boy, he'll find a way to trigger a solipsism."

"I think he deeply underestimates just how difficult it is to trigger one," said Thane. "It requires a very specific trigger, which one does not know until it is triggered. He will be prodding long and hard for many triggers, and it will be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Not unless you blow the whole haystack apart, right?" Jack asked. "And that's what Shepard's going to do."

"That requires specific training that Shepard does not have," said Thane.

"I don't think you get it." Jack shrugged. "Shepard's got some crazy-"

"-mind-altering abilities, I know," said Thane. "Jodie told me about them, there is no need to elaborate. I do not mean to be arrogant when I say this, but he will find it difficult against a mind trained by the hanar."

"Sure, you tell yourself that, frog," said Jack. She then pushed away, blinking when she heard footsteps approach. "Heh, bet you that's him." She then began to walk towards the entrance of the hidey hole. "He better not have his guards again. I swear, I'm going to flip if..."

And suddenly, Jack stood still. Thane frowned, leaning forward as he examined Jack's body language. Her posture was usually slack, sloppy, but now she stood up completely straight, walking obediently up the stairwell without so much as a word. As soon as her barely-clothed torso began to disappear behind the ceiling, Thane could hear Joker sigh in relief.

"Oh my God, she finally shut up," Joker let out. "How the hell did  _Shepard_ put up with that?"

"She seems to think bravado carries the day," said Thane. "But that said, she may not be on her best mental faculties at the moment." He then turned to Joker. "And on that note... Joker, was it? I would not touch Jack if I were you at this moment."

The pilot frowned, looking back at Thane in surprise. "Really?" he asked. "Yes, great idea, Joker. Let's touch the psychotic biotic who can break every bone in your body. Especially when you're bound."

And then Thane saw Jodie and Miranda emerge, Miranda glowing blue almost artificially. "I do not particularly think you will have to worry about being bound soon, Joker," Thane replied.

Joker followed Thane's line of sight, before he gasped, looking at Jodie and Miranda. "Oh God, you're both okay!" said Joker. "And running around! That's a good sign, right?"

"We're getting out of here, so yes," said Jodie. She rushed to Thane, quickly unlocking his restraints. "How do you stay so calm under pressure?"

Thane simply stood up, brushing off his clothes before he greeted Jodie with a smile. "The hanar trained me well," he said. "You learn to deal with situations such as these, in the unlikely event one is captured." He then turned, watching as Miranda freed Joker. He then turned to Jodie. "So I assume we are attempting to escape?"

"Yes," said Jodie. "And of course I wasn't going to leave you behind."

"And our third conspirator?" asked Thane.

The group heard a loud bang from above. Jodie turned, watching Jack disappear up the stairwell and hearing battle cries up above. She then shook her head, looking at Thane. "They'll be more useful on the ship than off it, I think," Jodie said. "They don't know who it is yet, so that's a good sign." She then breathed in. "I hate to do this to you, but you're going to have to carry Joker around a bit."

Thane nodded, before bowing down. "No no, it is alright," he said. He turned to Joker. "Quickly, come on."

Joker quickly stumbled towards Thane before almost falling on top of him. "I hope you're stronger than you look, man, because I'm heavier than I look," Joker said.

Thane only responded by standing up, gripping Joker's legs as best he could. "I am," he said. "They say drell physiology is different in that regard."

"Good, because we've got to  _move_ ," said Jodie. "Come on!"

With this, Jodie rushed up the stairway, seeing Jack throw another warp. This warp crashed awkwardly against the wall, and Miranda could only watch in dismay as she released another one. The soldiers only stood there, watching in shock as this second warp smashed against a wall, completely missing the soldiers.

Miranda shook her head, before glowing blue. "Your spirit is an amateur, Jodie," she said. "Let me show you how it's really done!"

With this, she opened a warp in her hand, launching it right at the front line of praetoren. The praetoren could only leap back in shock, but they could not escape the warp's pull as it rended some of their armor asunder. Miranda then leapt forward, punching at least one Praetorin in the chest and sending him flying back. Jodie then turned to Jack, making sure her pupils were still not visible before frowning, looking beyond.

"Aiden, have Jack get us an alternate route out of the Normandy!" she shouted.

Jack nodded once, before she walked off. Jodie then lifted her weapon, before raising it and spraying fire into the crowd of praetoren. Her first shots wildly missed: they soared above the praetoren, who all thought to fire back with returning fire. Jodie cringed, before quickly wedging herself into a corner. Thane quickly ducked into a corner, taking great care not to break any of Joker's bones as the barrage hit them.

"Son of a bitch..." Jodie then popped out of cover, before firing her gun at one of the praetorin. This was a direct hit, bouncing off of his shields before she managed to take him down with a shot to the chest. Jodie moved to fire, but a round of fire nearly grazed her shoulder and she had to pop back into cover.

Jodie growled, before looking on. "Dammit, Miranda!"

The praetoren from further back grunted, before she returned with more guns. She tossed what looked like a shotgun to Jodie, before holstering a sniper rifle and a submachine gun on her self. "Had to get some extra firepower," she said. "Thane, see me after for this sniper rifle!"

She then turned around, before launching another round at the soldiers ahead. She then rushed forward, before gesturing to Jodie. "Come on, I saw Jack punch a hole through windows close to the elevator," she said. "I think your friend bought us a way down that doesn't require elevators."

Jodie blinked in surprise, gesturing Thane to come along as she followed Miranda. "We're going to have to jump, aren't we?" she asked.

And then, Aiden trilled. Jodie blinked, before looking down at where she expected Aiden to be. She frowned. "Aiden, please tell me you knocked her out first."

Aiden chirped, sounding almost offended as Jodie blinked. "Alright, alright, I've-"

And then, she heard the sounds of guns cocking.

"Drop those weapons!"

Jodie, Miranda, Thane, and Joker all looked up right as they rounded up to the elevator. Jodie then looked up, seeing Okeer and Grunt both standing by the elevator with their shotguns raised at them. Several more praetoren stood behind them, and they all saw a ton of weapons get pointed at them. Jodie breathed in nervously, looking at the way Tali glanced at her.

Jodie swallowed, before kneeling and gently placing the assault rifle down. She then stood up, raising her hands in the air.

"Grunt..." said Jodie.

"Jodie." Grunt looked up at the ceiling. "So you've got a little ghost friend with you too, huh?"

Jodie nodded, keeping her distance from her weapon. "I do," she said. "I'm sorry. I wish I could've told you about him earlier."

"Oh, don't give me that," said Okeer. "You never were going to tell him."

"And how are you so certain of that?" Jodie asked.

Grunt turned to Jodie, not taking his shotgun off of her once. "When were you going to tell Shepard?" he asked.

"I... don't know," said Jodie. "I'd thought about it on the original Normandy, before Aiden warned me not to. On this one? Never."

"He warned you?" asked Grunt.

"Yes," said Jodie. "It wasn't until Aiden showed me something Shepard did that I knew he couldn't be trusted." Jodie looked up again at the praetoren. "What are your plans with the genophage,  _really_?"

"Uh... use the nanomachines?" asked one of the people up front.

Thane leaned closer to Jodie, but before he could say anything Jodie stepped forward. "The nanomachines," said Jodie. "You know the same ones you gave my quarian friend, yes? Or tried to. I remember he asked your guys something very simple: he asked for transparency on how they worked. And the way he told it to me, he said they found it difficult to fulfill such a simple request."

The praetoren looked at each other nervously. Grunt, however, narrowed his eyes, looking over at Jodie. "What're you thinking?" Grunt asked.

"The guys behind you probably don't know," said Jodie. "They're just the foot soldiers. But my friend talked to an authority figure, and that man couldn't be straight with him. How do we know they're not going to discard us once we've outlived our usefulness, Grunt?"

Grunt narrowed his eyes, lifting his shotgun and cocking it. "I don't," he said. "But then we live on uncertainties."

Jodie frowned, before looking to Grunt. "Not really," she said. "Think about it, Grunt: there's got to be more than just me telling you that going along with these guys is a bad idea."

Grunt paused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You know what I mean," said Jodie. "Hell, I saw it before. You don't like these guys. You don't trust them. Why is that?"

Grunt paused, considering it. "They have been secretive, and their Supreme Commander pretended he was something he wasn't." He then paused, looking at Jodie. "And not like you: he flat out hid it from us. And now they want to cure the genophage? I've asked around and nobody can tell me why. I don't like that they won't tell me."

Jodie nodded. "So why are you following them?" she asked. "For some genophage cure you know nothing about? That nobody will tell you how it works? You deserve more than that, Grunt. You deserve answers, right?"

Grunt paused, eyeing Jodie carefully. Okeer and the praetoren behind him watched Grunt. Grunt then turned, glancing right at Okeer, before turning back to Jodie and breathing in.

Finally, he turned, before firing a shotgun round into one of the praetorin right at the front.

Okeer jumped back in shock. "Grunt!" he said.

"She's right," said Grunt. "I don't know why I'm following these jackasses." He then cocked his shotgun again, shooting into a pair of praetoren. "I'm getting out of here."

"Grunt, stop!" said Okeer. "They want to cure the genophage!"

"And what'll they do then?" asked Grunt. "Neuter us again when they see what we'll destroy? Make us into obedient slaves, like Saren?"

Okeer blinked in shock. "Saren?" he asked. "What does he have to do with-"

And then, Grunt pulled his head back, before headbutting straight at Okeer. The remaining praetoren cowered behind cover as Grunt lifted his shotgun at them. He watched Okeer stumble, before Grunt stood tall.

"Jodie told me she knows Wrex," said Grunt. "You know what she told me? She told Wrex that Saren was only using the krogan to do his dirty work. And you know what? I believe it. Cured krogan are easy allies, and he knew that. He  _counted_ on that. And several krogan mindlessly ran in there, desperate for a cure!" He then glanced at Jodie, before looking at Okeer. "I'm not going to become like those... those  _drones._ Those drones were  _weak_ , like Paris, who needed some naked woman to save him from death. Unlike them, I do not fear the genophage enough to put my trust in people who should not be trusted. I don't trust these people, and I don't trust what they will do once I'm cured of the genophage. I'm not going to follow them blindly for that. If I must lose the cure to remain free, then  _so be it._ "

And with this, Grunt stood tall over Okeer. The old krogan blinked up in shock at his creation, who still held the shotgun in front of the remaining praetoren. Here, Okeer glanced back at Jodie, who had crouched ever so slightly closer to her weapon. She read his expression, the way his eyes seemed to scan her, and the way they turned to Grunt.

Finally, Okeer chuckled, this chuckle exploding out into a brief laugh. Jodie and Grunt both frowned, before Okeer pulled himself to his knees.

Then, without warning, Okeer turned his shotgun to the remaining praetoren, shooting them in the head. Grunt and Jodie jumped back, before Okeer fired another shot into the last remaining praetorin.

"Whoah!" Miranda said.

"Heh." Okeer stowed his shotgun away and turning to Jodie. "Looks like I was wrong about you, runt. You made him a better krogan than I ever could."

"Then...?" Grunt said.

Okeer cocked his shotgun, before standing in front of the elevator. "You bet there'll be more reinforcements coming," he said. "And there'll be even more from the other ships coming in now, for sure. You better get off this damn ship while you've got the chance."

"Okeer..." Jodie said.

The old krogan simply shook his head, looking to the call numbers of the elevator. "Go," he said. "The only thing I'm going to ask is that you take care of Grunt for me. He still has a lot to do."

Jodie shook her head. "No, no, come with us," she said.

Okeer turned to Jodie with a contented smile. "My life's work is complete," he said. "Now the only thing left to do is to go out in a blaze of glory."

"But-"

"Go!" Okeer shouted. "And don't you dare let him die!"

Jodie blinked in shock, looking back at Okeer. Grunt looked at him for a second, his shotgun nearly falling out of his grip as he surveyed the way Okeer stood, ready to take down the first guards that poured in.

Finally, Grunt nodded, before walking to the hole Jack had punched in earlier. "I'll be part of a really good fight," he said. "You'll see."

"Just make me proud," said Okeer.

And then, Grunt nodded, before turning to the hole. He then leapt through it, landing with an almighty thud on the ground below. Jodie continually stepped back, keeping her gaze trained on Okeer.

And then, the elevator doors opened, and Okeer was greeted with gunfire. The warlord rushed in, and it was a series of flashing lights and screams.

With this, Jodie finally turned around, seeing Miranda help Thane and Joker to the hole. "Miranda, let me," she said. "Aiden can slow their fall."

"Right," Miranda said. Jodie could tell that Miranda was not feeling super well: she had begun to go pale, and her biotic glow seemed weaker.

Jodie then walked to the edge of the hole, gently guiding Thane and Joker there. "Alright, you two ready?"

"As ready as you can be when you're jumping one whole story down," Joker replied.

"Yes," Thane said.

Jodie nodded, giving an internal counter in her head.  _You know what to do, Aiden!_

And then, Jodie leapt, Thane leaping at exactly the same time. And as they approached the ground, Jodie saw Aiden's blue aura surround them protectively, gently guiding them to the floor before it let go. Jodie turned to Thane and Joker, with Joker only replying with a single thumbs up before he smiled at them.

Jodie turned, seeing Miranda land behind them. With this, Jodie looked over, seeing Karshia stand guard over a transport. Grunt was already rushing at her, and before long Jodie followed, right as Grunt raised his shotgun at Karshia.

"You!" Grunt said. "Open up the-"

"Whoah, Grunt, hang on!" Jodie said, rushing forward and lowering his shotgun immediately. "Karshia's the whole reason we got to this point!"

Grunt blinked in confusion, before glancing to the side and seeing Karshia open the thing automatically. "What?" he asked.

"Jodie and I have a little history together," said Karshia. She then looked to Miranda as she, Thane, and Joker all made their way to the transport as quickly as they could. "And I  _may_ have slipped a little red sand to Miranda to get them out of here."

Miranda chuckled as she approached. "Who knew that Jack's red sand stash would prove to be so useful?" she asked.

"Not many." Karshia opened the transport, beckoning the others inside. "Come on, we don't have much time."

Grunt nodded, bounding up the gangplank. Jodie came next, before Miranda gently pushed Thane and Joker on-board. As soon as everyone was on, Karshia closed the door, before taking her place at the pilot's seat. She breathed in, starting up all the systems.

"Right," said Karshia. "How's your little spirit doing?"

"Aiden's okay," Jodie replied. "He's really been active ever since Miranda tore that dampening thing off."

Karshia blinked. "She tore it off, huh?" she asked. "But he can do things now, right?"

"Hey, he was the one who convinced Jack to open the hole for us," said Jodie.

Karshia nodded. "Good, good," she said. "Because I'm going to need him to brute force our way out of here."

Jodie frowned, turning to Karshia. "You're  _not_ going to."

"Well, unless you can convince the ship's AI to open the doors  _and_ to somehow keep the ships surrounding us from finding out, I don't see any other way to do this," Karshia said as she checked the ship's weapons systems. "Don't worry, I plan on at least shooting a hole out first."

"Hey, you can't shoot holes in my baby!" Joker shouted from where Thane had deposited him towards the back of the transport. "She's sensitive like that!"

"Sorry, Joker, but this isn't your baby anymore," Karshia replied. She then pulled back, and suddenly the ship achieved lift-off. "And be thankful that our craft has guns. That's going to make this easier."

Jodie looked up, seeing the view in front of her shift as the ship turned around. She gripped the chair, Karshia gritting her teeth as she inhaled. "Alright, here goes nothing..."

With this, Karshia grabbed a joystick, before squeezing down hard on it. As soon as this happened, a few rounds were fired from the ship's side cannons, And Jodie saw molten holes appear in the cargo bay's door. Jodie grit her teeth as she looked at the holes, watching the circle they'd outlined.

"Whoah, what kind of transport has  _guns_?" asked Joker.

Karshia turned back, before looking at Joker. "We like to be prepared," she said. She then turned to a few more panels, before exhaling and looking to Jodie. "Now would be a good time to get him going."

Jodie nodded, looking up to Aiden. "Oh dear, Aiden... You're going to have to put everything into this one."

Aiden trilled: before long, the entity began to surround the ship with a blue aura, one that covered the entire front of the ship. As she saw this, Karshia smiled, before moving a few things.

"Alright," Karshia said. "Hang on, everyone: things are about to get bumpy."

With this, she pushed the acceleration all the way to full throttle. Jodie cringed, gripping the edge of Karshia's seat as the craft rocketed straight for the center of the circle Karshia had shot out. Jodie braced herself, fully expecting the impact no matter how big Aiden got. She dared not even look out of the side viewports to see if Aiden was able to reach that far.

And then, she felt a bump. She was nearly launched forward from the force, and for a moment she felt a slight dizziness come over her. And then, she opened her eyes, seeing part of the Normandy's cargo bay door go flying before it collided with one of the other ships. Karshia exhaled, before her fingers began to fly all around the control panel.

"Okay..." She then breathed in. "Now all we have to do is create a subspace bomb in a place we can hide for a few minutes."

"You have that too?" asked Miranda.

"You never can be too prepared on an aqueron-make T-47," said Karshia. "Quick, I need some coordinates!"

And Miranda already stood up, her omni-tool open as she showed Karshia some coordinates. "Take us here," she said.

Jodie leaned over, reading them quickly. She then blinked in surprise, looking back up at Miranda in confusion. "Where is that?" she asked.

"You'll see soon," Miranda replied. "But if I'm right, there should be a Cerberus cell close to there. If we're quick, we can go there and leave in a different vessel, and we'll be in a different system before they can use the relays to follow us."

Karshia sighed. "We'll only have twenty-five minutes," she said. "That's how long those guys tend to take to charge a subspace bomb. If we can mask the angle carefully enough, we could buy ourselves ten minutes at most."

Miranda nodded. "That'll be enough time," she said. "Especially with Joker piloting that craft."

Karshia glanced back, checking some meters that Jodie had no time to read. "Good," she said. "Because I can already buy us five more minutes by doing this."

With this, she stabbed her finger into the air, before angling the ship downwards. Jodie then watched as the craft fired a subspace bomb, the little ball of darkness racing ahead of the small ship. It exploded outwards shortly afterwards, and before Jodie could say anything more the craft raced right through it. It was only then that Jodie realized that the ships around them had only then managed to mobilize, and as she looked to Karshia she watched as the praetorin navigated right through the portal.

The starscape that greeted Jodie was very different, and through it she could see only a single station. It was not Cronos Station for certain, but Jodie could tell pretty quickly that it must still have a few transports left somewhere within the building. She then looked back to Miranda as Karshia rushed towards the docking bays.

"I hope I calibrated that bomb right," Karshia said. "If I did, the hole should have closed by now."

Miranda nodded. "Then that'll mean we'll have plenty of time to make the transfer," she said. She then looked to her. "As soon as we're docked, I'll need you to carry Joker to the new ship. He can get us out of here on that. Please just be careful with his bones."

Karshia nodded, pulling up to the docking bay and sighing in relief. "Can do," she said. "Come on, let's go."

With this, she pulled up to a docking arm, watching as the docking arm moved into action.

* * *

The transfer was faster than even Miranda anticipated: Joker had them on route to the relay very shortly after, and the other galaxy had not even followed them yet when Joker took them through the relay. He made several relay jumps just to make sure the other galaxy had truly lost them, before he finally settled into a dock somewhere. It was a little nerve-wracking, but now that they were docked at Illium they knew things would be alright.

Thus, Jodie laid back, breathing slowly as she looked up at the ceiling. Aiden gurgled happily, and as he did this Jodie turned to Miranda. Miranda was in considerably less good health: she seemed a little pale and sweaty from where Jodie was able to see, and as she laid back in the berth she only dabbed her forehead with a cloth. Thankfully, Grunt was on hand with a glass of water, which Miranda was only glad to take part in.

Jodie sighed, looking up at Aiden.  _You helped her with the red sand, right?_  she thought.

Aiden chirped in the affirmative. Before Jodie could say anything more, however, she sat up, looking up as Thane and Karshia approached.

"Well, here we are," said Thane. "Out of their clutches. I am glad we were not on that ship longer than was strictly necessary."

"Same," said Jodie.

Karshia then looked at everyone else. "So... anyone else have any idea what our next move should be?" Karshia asked.

Jodie nodded, before sighing. "This... this is going to be difficult to explain," she said. She then turned to Miranda. "Miranda, how many older Cerberus operatives do you know?"

"Not very many," said Miranda. "Why?"

"I... I had a dream," said Jodie as she glanced to the side. "You're probably going to call it insane, but trust me: the dream in question was given to me by... something, I can't explain what, but-"

Karshia gasped. "You've been visited by the All-Mother?" she asked.

Jodie blinked, glancing to the side. "The All-Mother?" she asked.

Grunt groaned. "If this is something about some old bat who makes our wishes come true, I'm out," he said. "I did  _not_ sign up for that."

"No, no," said Karshia. "The All-Mother is a... spirit guide. I don't know how true this is, but it's said that she guides the spirit-touched to improve lives." She turned to Jodie. "I don't know if it exists, but Jodie, if these dreams have been pointing you at the right place..."

"I've had them very occasionally, so I don't know," said Jodie. "But if this dream is right, we have to find a man by the name of Eun-Jong Song. He would've been a Cerberus programmer of some kind, I think. We need to find him."

"Why is this?" Thane asked.

Jodie sighed, rubbing her head. "He's the one who wrote the virus that kicked off the Great Purge," she said. "When I spoke to... whatever it was that visited my dream, she said they'd made a mistake, not knowing all the details. So if I'm right about what vision I saw in my dream, and if she's right about that, there's more to the Great Purge than I think anyone could ever have known."

"And where do we go then?" asked Miranda.

"Then we need to find Kalo and compare notes, I think," said Jodie. She shook her head, placing a hand on her head and looking to the floor. "Oh, he's probably back at the Fleet by now. I hope he's okay..."

"I'm sure he is," Karshia replied, patting Jodie on the shoulder. "So that's the game plan. Alright. We'll see what we can do."

"Please, don't forget my sister," Miranda added.

Jodie nodded. "I never knew you had a sister," she said. "Don't worry, we'll see what we can do about her."

Karshia nodded. "They have bigger fish to fry for right now," she said. "We can take some time to deal with this Oriana character."

"Then that's what we'll do," Jodie said. She sighed, before looking up at the ceiling. "At least now I can talk to Anderson without having to worry about EDI." She then frowned, opening her new omnitool and looking through it. "Speaking of which, I should talk to him, let him know that I'm okay and that Jacob is still on the ship."

"And what of Jacob?" asked Thane. "How will he fare now that we are not there?"

"Don't worry about him," Jodie replied. "I left him and Tali a little message on a datapad just before we left. If I'm lucky, they should be finding it just about... now."

* * *

Tali inspected the damage to the cargo bay door, shaking her head. "Keelah..." She looked back to Admiral Kalpalan as he stood with his hands behind his back. "She shot the hole out there. Does she even know how much that will cost to repair?"

"I don't think she cared much," said the Admiral. He sighed, glancing to the side. "Dammit... Of all people to turn, it would be my daughter. How? She was a loyal soldier..."

"You never know with some people." Tali sighed, looking to the floor. "You want to believe the best for them." She rubbed her arm.

Admiral Kalpalan frowned, looking to Tali. "You're thinking of Jodie, aren't you?" he asked.

Tali nodded. "Yes," she said. "I see what she did with Shepard, what it means with what she told me on the first Normandy. But I can't believe that she would have bad intentions the way Jon tells me she does. I can't believe it, and I won't believe it."

Admiral Kalpalan sighed, looking to the side. "To be honest, that is... how I feel about Ru'val," he said. "He was my dear friend. I know the official version of events, but... every time I hear that version, it stings. Ru'val was a friend: I know his actions were those of a desperate man trying to look out for his own." He sighed, shaking his head and crossing his arms. "It is unfair, but I never thought I would have to feel it about Karshia."

"You never know who to feel it for," said Tali. "People can surprise like that."

They both sighed, before Tali looked back up at the Admiral. Tali opened her mouth, but before she could say anything more, she saw Jacob approach with a datapad. Tali blinked, turning to face him. Admiral Kalpalan stood back, watching him walk forward.

"Hey Tali," said Jacob. "I hate to interrupt, but... I found this among Jack's stuff earlier. I think it's for you."

Tali nodded, taking the datapad. She then opened it, frowning at the childish image that was displayed before her. It was a message in big letters, along with small illustrations of what she guessed was a batarian and someone who only bore a passing resemblance to Shepard. She looked at the way the figures were positioned in the image, and how one of them featured Jon'ison shooting something into Balak's eyes. She looked at it for a second, before breathing in and reading what the big red letters said.

" _ASK ABOUT BALAK_ ".

Admiral Kalpalan peered over Tali's shoulder. He frowned, before stepping away, deep in thought. Tali then looked to the Admiral, gently lowering the datapad.

"Do you know what this is about?" she asked.

"I think so," said the admiral. "And if I'm right and that is depicting what I think it is, this would be concerning to  _us_ , too..."


	13. Chapter 13

Kalo quickly stowed the OSD into a compartment on his belt. The secret lab had nearly been completely taken down: all that was left to do was to get the vorcha out of there without Mahadood's foot soldiers noticing. The quarian felt a great bout of nerves hit him, and he opened his omni-tool for the sixth time, making sure that the encrypted message he had sent to the admirals had sent.

Mordin moved behind him. "Not much time until inspection," said Mordin. "Must be clean. Help move this machine."

Kalo then snapped out of his reverie, before turning to Mordin. "Oh, right," he said, before moving over to see the doctor move a spare berth over to where one of the higher-powered terminals used to be. "Sorry."

Mordin then turned to Kalo. "Still have nanobot samples, yes?" he asked.

"I do," said Kalo. "Those are also on me."

"And relevant OSD with data?" asked Mordin.

"And the back-up on my omni-tool," said Kalo. "I still wish there was a way we could have sent all of our findings to them directly."

"Too dangerous," said Mordin. "If encryption breaks, too easy to find out." He then stood up as soon as he and Kalo finished moving the berth. He then nodded, seeing the varren pen to the side. "Now, how to deal with-"

And then, Mordin heard a little bell he had set up. " _Visitors have arrived,_ " a pre-recorded message droned. " _Please get to the front of the clinic immediately._ "

Mordin and Kalo looked at each other, before Kalo sighed gently. "I... That's them, isn't it?"

The salarian nodded. "Knew they would arrive early," he said. "Done what is possible."

As Mordin began to walk towards the way back to the surgery theater, Kalo followed. "And what do we do now?" Kalo asked.

"Wait," said Mordin. "Do not act excited. And if worst passes, follow plan to the letter."

Kalo nodded. It was then that both he and Mordin both stepped out of the passageway, intentionally leaving the passageway door open this time. As they stepped there, they saw six men in white armor standing at the entrance. All of them had the trademark black mask, and under their gaze Kalo felt like his heart would stop at their command. However, they flanked a seventh man, a turian who was done up in blue armor. Kalo faintly recognized something about it, but he could not place where he had seen the armor before. There were various insignia of angel wings all about his armor, and then he saw a strange sort of medal system he had never seen before burned into the upper-left-hand side of the armor's torso piece.

Kalo's heart raced upon seeing him. Of all the people he expected to find, he did not expect someone who may very well have been their leader to arrive.

The turian bowed his head. "So you're the famous Dr. Mordin Solus my guys down here keep telling me about," he said.

Mordin nodded. "Yes," he said, so nonchalantly that it almost disturbed Kalo more. "Very busy clinic. Still helping two patients recover. Please pardon some of the mess."

The turian nodded. "I'll try to remember that," he said. He then leaned back. "You can call me Mahadood."

Kalo froze up. "That Mahadood?" he asked.

"That Mahadood indeed," the turian replied. He then looked to the doctor. "Is this your new assistant?"

Mordin bowed his head. "Yes," he said. "Had few options after Daniel..."

"I see," said Mahadood. Even through the helmet, Kalo could tell that Mahadood's gaze lingered on him for a second too long, before he then turned to Mordin and bowed his head. "I apologize about your assistant. It's never a good sign when they turn out to be a crazy like that."

Mordin nodded grimly. "It is not," he agreed. He then looked back to the clinic. "Odd to see leader at inspection."

"Times are strange on this rock," Mahadood replied. "And we need to be prepared for anything." He then looked inside the clinic. "Let's get the grand tour, shall we?"

"Of course," said Mordin.

With this, the salarian led Mahadood and his white-armored cronies into the clinic. Kalo remained back for a second, breathing in nervously as he inspected them all. He had the horrible suspicion they knew: first the inspection itself, then Mahadood's arrival, then the fact that Mahadood was looking directly at him...

They knew. He just knew that they knew.

He then finally breathed in, following them in. He knew that no matter what, he had to trust Mordin at that moment in time. It was all he could do, after all.

* * *

Jon'ison Shardan coughed, the artician shaking his head as soon as he did. He shook his head, standing behind the Normandy's new pilot. The Citadel was visible through the viewport, and while it was a sight Shepard was familiar with it was all too different now that the curtain had been pulled on his disguise.

"Still have red sand in your system, sir?"

Jon'ison turned to Jacob. He still stuck around after everything that had happened, and for once Jon'ison was glad he could have someone to trust standing behind him. He would need it in this particular turn of events, after all.

"Yes," said Jon'ison. He then turned to Admiral Kalpalan, who stood behind him as he shook his head. "I swear, Admiral, that traitorous K'lek kid really did something to that girl of yours."

Admiral Kalpalan cringed at this, but he breathed in, keeping his eyes closed. "Of course, Supreme Commander," he said. "I... I don't know what got into her, myself."

"Also untrustworthy, that one," said Jon'ison. "Still, I didn't think she'd help  _that_ traitor, of all people." He then looked behind him, growling as he looked to the admiral. "Where the hell are Jack and Tali?"

As if on cue, the elevator door opened on the far side. Tali was the first to emerge, with Jack walking behind her. As they approached, Tali immediately stood at attention, facing Jon'ison as she stood erect. Jack, on the other hand, rubbed at one of the bandages wrapped around her head, one of many that adorned her body in the wake of whatever Jodie's spirit had done to her.

Tali straightened out. "Sorry, John," she said. "I had... It took me a little while to get Jack out of her particular deck."

"Fuck no, I'm not going to jump in front of the Council," she said. "I fuckin' told you that!"

"Well, Jack, if they're going to honor their word-and I honestly don't know why they would, but if they do-you'll at least get front-row seats to the Illusive Man's execution." Jon'ison turned around. "And... well, I guess there's no point beating around the bush with them. I think it's time we made it clear exactly what kind of beast has been awakened here." He then turned to the Admiral. "Your ships are at the ready, right?"

"Yes, sir," said the Admiral. "They're only awaiting our orders."

"Sir, we've just been given permission to dock with the Citadel," the pilot said.

Jon'ison nodded. "Good," he said. He then turned to everyone behind him. "Prepare to meet the Council. This is going to be interesting to see what they want."

* * *

"Well, this seems like an awfully small clinic, for the amount of people you get there. You didn't have anyone sleep on the floor, did you?"

"No. Increases chance of infection. Cannot risk that. Began building alternate solution."

"Alternate solution?"

"Yes, sir. We decided to see if we could try expanding it a little bit. Here, the entrance is in here."

Kalo indicated to a spot on the wall. He walked forward, past one of the other inspectors as he looked through a datapad containing more information on the patients. Kalo moved to say something, but Mordin was faster, plucking the datapad out of the inspector's hands and shaking his head. He did not catch what Mordin said, however, and so he only looked on as Mahadood approached the section of wall.

"Hm..." Mahadood said. "Interesting."

And then, Mahadood pushed the small panel of wall open, to enter the area that Kalo most feared on the tour: the visit to their secret laboratory. He opened the passageways, and then the turian saw more berths located inside. Kalo breathed in, trying to think if he and Mordin had missed anything in their inspection of the secret lab. They had managed to get rid of the containment cell for the varren, the varren had already found a new owner, and all traces of the research had been wiped from the relevant data pads.

The scratch marks left behind from dealing with Daniel could not, alas, be undone. But it was something.

Mahadood looked around at the berths, noting how empty they were. "These berths seem new, compared to the other equipment."

Kalo breathed in, looking at Mahadood. "The doctor and Daniel had only managed to excavate this area recently," he said, already running through the explanations he had rehearsed. "These berths are new."

"They certainly look like it," said Mahadood. He then ran his hand over one of them. "And they look different from anything found on Omega."

"The doctor still has STG connections, sir," Kalo replied. He then looked around, grabbing a datapad and handing it to the turian. "Here, we have the purchase logs on this datapad."

Mahadood nodded, before opening the datapad and looking over it. "Mm... Only made last week. I see." He then placed the datapad down. "And I imagine they're state of the art."

Kalo nodded. "They are," he said. "I have never seen any medical berths like these."

"I don't doubt it," said Mahadood. "He must have done something very special with the STG before now to get something like this."

Kalo frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"These are very expensive berths, if I'm remembering that right," Mahadood replied. "Getting these over here would require a lot of favors, especially when I don't hear about it. He must have quite the connections, if that's the case."

"Well, sir, I would not know anything about that," Kalo replied. "After all, I only did start recently. If you have any questions about affiliation, that is something to ask the Doctor. I will warn you, though: he is very guarded about that."

Mahadood nodded. "I will keep that in mind."

He then turned to the wall scratches, turning to them in the wall. He then seemed to zero in on some kind of notch in the wall. And there, Kalo froze: he recognized it as the ding on the wall that the varren cell had made on the wall as they had moved it in. Daniel and Kalo had accidentally moved it too fast, and before long it had created a ding in the wall. He then looked over to a terminal, realizing he could have moved it to the side.

But then Mahadood scanned the berths, looking for any signs of wear and tear. "Dinged up walls?" he asked.

"From what I understand..." Kalo swallowed a lump in his throat, desperately hoping Mahadood could not read quarian body language. "Well, it happened during the excavation. I do not know the exact details, so that is something you must ask the doctor again."

Mahadood nodded, before looking around. As he did, though, Kalo watched him, growing more nervous at each glance the turian cast at each berth. Kalo could not read what was behind the mask, but the fact he was looking around at all could mean a lot of things. Mahadood also never touched anything: Kalo could tell that he must have had an especially keen eye, even if it was behind a helmet. And if this galaxy had the technology it did...

Still, he nodded. "Alright," he said. "Thank you for the tour. I just have some things I need to confer with the doctor. Please come with me."

Mahadood then walked towards the exit. Kalo breathed in, following close behind with a sharp intake of breath. Kalo hoped a small part of him had read the body language wrong, that he was just seeing some things with how Mahadood carried himself.

* * *

Jon'ison walked into the Council chambers, his squad behind him. The chambers were lined with innumerable C-Sec officers, all of them standing idle. As he glanced over all of them, he noticed they were all actually more lightly armed than he would have expected, but to this he could only smirk. He also noticed a few reporters hiding behind some of the officers, all of them standing with their news drones.

 _Good,_  he thought.  _Let them see..._

As he ascended the stairs, Jon'ison finally caught sight of the Council. They were unguarded, but he noticed Ashley Williams standing off to the side, right by where Jon'ison knew he would have to stand. She was the only one armed in any meaningful capacity, and as he approached he noticed the way her eyes were narrowed. Jon'ison turned back to his small ground team, before he stepped up to the podium, his team behind him.

The Council looked at Jon'ison as he settled in, Sparatus crossing his arms and Anderson leaning forward. A tense silence filled the room, with everyone sizing up Jon'ison and the Council. Jon'ison took the opportunity to note everything around him, before he turned to the Councillors.

It was Sparatus, however, who broke the air. "John Shepard," he began. "Or should that be Jon'ison Shardan?"

Jon'ison frowned. "It doesn't make a difference at this point," he said. "I can't believe you know. After thirty years."

"Thirty years that could have turned out very differently if you hadn't masqueraded as a human," Anderson pointed out, leaning forward. "We would have gladly helped you take down Cerberus, if we knew about what they had done to you."

"You say that now, but you don't mean it," said Jon'ison.

"I think you would be unwise to say that, after we acted on your intelligence," said Tevos. She then looked to the side. "Please, bring out the Illusive Man."

With this, Jon'ison turned as a group of C-Sec officers shuffled out of the way. He then opened his eyes wide, seeing two officers leading a man in a black suit straight to the foot of the platform. And it was as Shepard looked down at the man's hair that he recognized all the creases. Age had certainly not been kind to The Illusive Man (something that even Jon'ison could see from where he stood), and as he was carried out his head remained bowed. Jon'ison turned to his ground team, looking back at the Council briefly before he looked to the Admiral.

"They were right," he said. "They did have him..."

"Indeed," said Valern. "You seek to punish the Illusive Man, yes? We wished to open up an avenue by which to open discussions by offering you the Illusive Man. He has himself been charged by our galaxy, of course, but your personal history is greater."

It was here that the Admiral Kalpalan frowned, turning to Valern. "It seems strange that you would have to steal our intelligence to do that," he pointed out.

Sparatus leaned forward. "Perhaps, but getting intelligence of our own would have taken too long," he said. "We had to make do." He then crossed his arms. "You must be the praetorin that Jodie's ground team told us all about. Welcome to our galaxy."

Despite the obvious discomfort that was visible in the Admiral's stance, the praetorin bowed. "If only the circumstances had been different," the admiral replied.

Jon'ison shook his head, turning to Tali and nodding. He then gave Tali his weapons, before stepping up to the Illusive Man. His boots sounded on the floor a little louder than before, and as he approached the Illusive Man a scowl formed on his face. He then looked to the two C-Sec guards, watching them as they stood by his sides. He frowned, before lifting his hand and waving at them.

"Go away," he said. "I'll take it from here."

Wordlessly, the C-Sec agents stepped away. He then looked down at the Illusive Man, who simply turned his head up. The Illusive Man's eyes widened in surprise, before he leaned back. Jon'ison could not read what was in the Illusive Man's expression: it was maddeningly neutral, and the eyes that glowed did not make matters any easier. Shepard glared into his eyes, and while the Illusive Man was not quaking in his boots he was not exactly looking up in defiance, either. In a way, he seemed almost tranquil.

Finally, the Illusive Man turned his gaze down. "Jon'ison," he said. "I should have known."

"Yeah, you should've," said Jon'ison. He then leaned forward. "You forgot what my father said about pissing us off, right?"

"I thought that was another of his delusions of grandeur," the Illusive Man replied. "He had made quite the habit of declarations he had no hope of being able to fulfill."

Jon'ison frowned. "That's no way to talk about my father and you know it," he said.

"I am not so certain of that," the Illusive Man replied. "But, I suppose there is no convincing a man who waited thirty years to get vengeance in such an underhanded manner." He then paused, keeping his gaze trained on the floor. "I suppose you do not want my explanation of what I was thinking."

"No," said Jon'ison. "No, I really don't. It's only by sheer force of will you don't have a knife in your back right now."

The Illusive Man nodded. "Then there is nothing I have to say," he said.

Jon'ison scowled. "You slaughtered my people, and you have nothing to say?" he asked, his voice slightly raised.

"Anything I could say is something you would accuse me of lying about," he said. "It was what your father did many, many times, and having grown up in... In..."

And here, the Illusive Man paused. Jon'ison blinked in shock, and as the Illusive Man looked up, Jon'ison saw a look in those synthetic eyes he had never seen before. It was not a defiant gaze, but it was almost resigned. Jon'ison stopped, wondering what it was. If it was an act, it was a good one, but the Illusive Man was almost too loose, almost as if he were finally at peace.

And then, he noticed the way the Illusive Man's throat tensed up. It had only lasted a second, but the way his throat tensed stood out.

The Illusive Man exhaled softly. "...in your circumstances," he continued. "In your circumstances, I would not particularly blame you."

And then, Jon'ison's expression softened. The Illusive Man did not outright say it: Jon'ison knew that he would never admit to any kind of failure. But the way he carried himself, a pathetic shell of whatever he must have been once and his slightly hushed voice...

Jon'ison sighed, leaning forward. "You spoke with my father," he said. "You must know the Reckoning."

"Yes," said the Illusive Man. "I suppose it's time for my Reckoning?"

And then, Jon'ison nodded. His resolve hardened, and then his eyes began to glow red. "Any last words, Jack Harper?"

And here, the Illusive Man only met Jon'ison's gaze with silence. Joni'son noticed only a slight shake of the head. He pursed his lips, and Jon'ison saw the involuntary tense of the Illusive Man's throat.

Jon'ison nodded. Before anyone could say anything, Jon'ison's eyes went completely red, and the red light entered the Illusive Man's eyes. To some, it looked like a twisted meld, but for whatever reason the Illusive Man did not scream. The whole affair only lasted about five seconds: it was a short amount of time to the outside world.

But to Jon'ison, it felt like an eternity. He knew what awaited on the other side, always seemed to observe it faster than the other person did. Every soul the Illusive Man had killed, every wrong he had committed, everything that the Illusive Man had done to hurt others, it was all there. The lifetimes were too many to count, the truths too vicious, and Shepard knew every last one would go in like an additional knife in the Illusive Man's heart.

When the red light finally dissipated, the Illusive Man's stare was blank. It only took a few seconds for blood to start pouring out of his eyes, however: this was clearly visible to all. They then noticed that his ears began to emit blood as well.

Without much ceremony, the Illusive Man fell back, the grotesque sight made visible to everyone all around the room. He remained unmoving even in the awkward position that he had fallen in.

The artician sighed: it was finally done. The Illusive Man was dead, his brain rotted out by the Reckoning, just as the people who knew it best attested to. He could see the many thousands of eyes around him that witnessed the execution, all of them focusing on him. It had been a lot of what he had imagined the day to be like: eyes looking on as the Illusive Man met his end, as he finally met his justice.

Jon'ison knew this was what his whole life had built up to. And now that the moment had arrived, all he could feel was bitter apathy, without a single ounce of satisfaction attached.

* * *

"And that is the clinic, sir."

With this, Mahadood looked around. "I see," he said. "It's a little small, but it functions well."

Mordin leaned back, looking at the group of soldiers Mahadood had brought with him. Kalo, meanwhile, glanced at them. He had to will himself to breathe, to remember that Mahadood would not expect anything until much later. But as Mahadood looked around, Kalo could not help but feel he suspected something.

"Small clinic," said Mordin. "Have had to work with less."

"I'll bet," Mahadood replied. He then opened his omni-tool. "My guys did some digging around in your past. Looks like you're retired STG, right?"

Mordin blinked, but if he was surprised he did not show it. "Yes," he said. "Interesting that you have this information. Where was it acquired?"

"Again, my guys did a bit of digging," he said. "There's some other stuff that your quarian friend doesn't need to know. But I'm wondering something: you said you hired this quarian recently, yes?"

"That is correct," said Kalo. "Why do you bring it up?"

"Well, it's strange, is all," said Mahadood as he opened his omni-tool. As soon as he did, he began to play video. Kalo realized all too quickly that it was security footage from within the clinic. And there, Kalo walked, before disappearing into the room.

Kalo blinked. "I... I do not know what that is."

Mahadood shook his head, before turning to one of the people with him. "You know, Tei'lo is my best hacker here," he said. "She's so good she can hack into things without people noticing. And she hacked into your security hard drives and dug up that little clip there. And the suit is the same: same coloration, same scarves..."

Mordin frowned. "Unclean inspection," he said. "Helping injured and sick. Motives should not be questioned."

"Ah, but doctor, that's the trouble dealing with a retired STG agent," said Mahadood. "These guys I work with wouldn't think anything of it, but I know you STG guys can be crafty little guys. I've even heard reports from civilians that have heard noises beyond that wall on the outside of the supposed 'expansion'. And then there's the fact that my visor keeps telling me your quarian friend hear has had an elevated heart rate the entire time. The rest can be attributed to you hollowing it out, but the heart rate? You're both hiding something."

Kalo's heart skipped a beat as soon as the last thing was mentioned. "W-what?" he asked.

Mahadood then turned to the quarian. "It's a very nice pattern, too," said Mahadood. "Where did you get it?"

"Is that a genuine question?" asked Kalo.

"Yes," said Mahadood. "It's just that I'm sure I've seen it somewhere else. Maybe... Somewhere in the Armstrong Nebula?"

And that was when Kalo knew: Mahadood had been on to them the entire time. He froze then, taking a deep breath in as he looked up to the turian.

But he'd already received his answer. He turned to Mordin. "I think we know what we've found here," he said. He then looked up. "And the guys upstairs said my C-SEC training was good for nothing." He then turned to the others, pointing at Kalo and Mordin. "Arrest them. They know too much. And get some new doctors in this clinic."

The white-armored men approached suddenly, roughly grabbing Kalo by the arms. The quarian's eyes widened in panic, and as two others approached Mordin, Kalo began to struggle.

"Wait, you do not understand!" said Kalo. "You do not know who you deal with!"

"Oh, I know who I'm dealing with," said Mahadood. "I'm dealing with someone who wants to restore justice to this damn galaxy. And I'm just removing the last obstacle in his way."

"No!" Kalo began to really struggle as the guards began to pull him out of the clinic. "You do not understand!"

"No use arguing," said Mordin. He slowly backed away, but despite this he looked as calm and unreadable as usual. "Will not see reason. And when reason not seen, other methods must be used."

With this, Mordin reached back, pulling a detonator and pressing the button on it. In seconds, a smoke began to fill the clinic. Mahadood looked around, watching the smoke filter into the room and frowning. The rest of Mahadood's entourage also looked around, and one of them doubled over almost as if to suppress laughter.

"Yes, smoke," said Mahadood. "Against guys with helmets."

"Not meant to be breathed in," said Mordin as the smoke began to obscure the room. "Smoke is non-toxic. Danger is elsewhere."

"What do you-"

And then, Kalo squeezed his eyes shut. A second later, he heard Mahadood cry out in pain, and a brief flash of light punctuated through his eyelids. The pressure of the hands grasping his arms vanished, and then Kalo dared to open his eyes to find the room still filling with smoke. However, the smoke production had accelerated.

Mordin had briefed Kalo about this situation: he knew that, in seconds, the smoke would fill the whole room. It was not toxic, but it was only meant to obscure. The flash would make sure of that. The time for Kalo to move was then, and he knew he would not have much time.

As soon as the smoke had begun to fill the room, Kalo rushed for the reception area. He felt for the spare pistol Mordin had planted, his hands quickly trying to feel over everything for the butt of it. He then looked up, seeing the smoke fill the room to the point that he could hardly see three feet in front of him. He thought to shout to Mordin, but knew that he could not afford to alert Mahadood or any of his entourage to his ideas.

Finally, his hand fell upon the pistol. Sighing in relief, he hooked it up, before pressing a glowing red button. As soon as he did this, he turned, a series of red lights coming on behind him. With this, several LOKI mechs emerged, all of them moving past Kalo as they made their way to where Mahadood and his entourage were.

Kalo did not wait. He rushed out, just managing to break the thick smoke that had accumulated to an almost-invisible sight. He'd barely managed to clear the entrance-way before the door to the clinic slammed shut behind him. The panel turned red, and for a second, Kalo breathed in and out nervously.

The first thing he did was feel his body, almost in disbelief that he had actually escaped. He then stood up, shaking his head and looking for the doctor. Mahadood and his entourage would probably gain their bearings soon, but there were plenty of LOKI mechs. Still, Kalo knew it was not meant to kill: it was meant only as a distraction, to give him just enough time to slip away should Mahadood have expected him.

But when he looked around, Mordin was nowhere to be found. Kalo thought to call out to him, but Mordin had made it clear that his own voice could be used against him if anyone suspected that he was the quarian they were looking for. He knew that for the next part of the plan to work, Mordin needed to be present, but the doctor was nowhere to be seen.

And so, despite everything in his mind telling him not to, Kalo rushed back. "Mordin?" he asked. "Dr. Solus?"

He was met with silence. A second later, that silence was punctuated by the first burst of gunfire from within the clinic.

Kalo jolted: he knew that if gunfire happened, that meant attention. And the more attention that was gained, the more likely it was that Mahadood's other people would come soon. And so, Kalo rushed off into Omega, his feet pounding against the floor as he sought to get anywhere that was as far away from Mordin's clinic as possible.

* * *

Ashley shifted where she stood, looking at the Illusive Man's body. Jon'ison had finally stood up slowly, his gaze remaining on the dead body before him. He then sighed, looking up at the ceiling of the Council Chamber.

Ashley shifted her posture. "Well, he's dead," she said. "Satisfied?"

Jon'ison looked to Ashley. Here, he shook his head, turning to the Council. "No," he said.

Tevos blinked in surprise. "No?" she asked.

"No," said Jon'ison. "Because there's a greater injustice that needs to be addressed here."

Anderson crossed his arms. "And what would that be?" he asked.

"You know what that is," said Jon'ison, stepping back up to the podium and turning to Anderson.

Sparatus frowned, leaning forward. "No, we really don't," he said. "We found out what your people had gone through, and-"

"Oh, shut up!"

Jon'ison slammed his fist on a panel, effectively silencing the turian Councillor. He then glared at all of them, pointing at each of them as he moved on. "You stooges didn't do a damn thing to stop Cerberus from killing people in my galaxy," he said.

"And how were we supposed to-?"

"Shut up, you blue-dyed bitch, I'm not done yet." Jon'ison slammed his fist down again, before continuing on. "See, we have a saying in our Book of Platitudes. 'All things have a source'. See, the Illusive Man was not necessarily the source of all this."

Valern frowned, meeting the confused gazes of the other three Councillors before leaning forward. "What?" he asked.

"At the end of the day, Cerberus sprang up from something, right?" asked Jon'ison. "And it wasn't quelled immediately. If you had bothered to crush them when they first became active instead of waiting until it was too late, I would not be here now."

"Excuse me, we didn't-"

"I'm not  _finished_!" Jon'ison slammed his fist again, pointing at them. "Don't you interrupt me again!" Before the Council could have a chance to reply, he continued on. "See, I know what happened in the First Contact War. I learned that when I first got here. All of this could have been solved if you had just punished the turians for attacking people that didn't know what they were doing. If they hadn't attacked without waiting to see how much they knew about certain relays, there would've been no Cerberus."

He then began to pace around. "And it goes on from there. Like with your stupid AI rule. You essentially kicked out the quarians from gaining Council membership and have actively turned them into the galaxy's outcasts, and for what? Making robots? They're hitting a crisis in their existence, they can't live outside of a vacuum-sealed suit without dying, and they don't have a planet now. And  _you_ caused that." He then shook his head. "And what about the krogan? You've punished them for too long. It's been years since the rebellions, and you want to hold your grudge against them and oppress them further?" He then glared at Valern. "And don't play dumb with me, by the way. My galaxy has intelligence about your modified genophage and how you took care of that, you're actively extending their punishment."

Jon'ison then stopped in front of the panel. "No, Councillors, my revenge is not yet realized," he said. "Cerberus was merely a symptom. The real source is  _you_." He then pointed at the Council. "There is another saying in the Book of Platitudes: 'the source of a tragedy must be punished; only then will true justice be attained'. You've been the source of too many tragedies for far too long, Councillors. It's time someone did something about that."

He then glared at Anderson, before he then stepped forward, grabbing his sword's hilt. "And in this case, that someone is me."

Before the Councillors could comment, Jon'ison's blade extended out, the green blade glowing angrily in the light. With this, he leapt off the platform he stood on. Valern and Tevos had the good sense to rush away from the platform. Sparatus stepped back, however, and upon noticing that he was the one Jon'ison leapt for, he pulled out a concealed pistol, aiming at Jon'ison and firing.

The mass accelerator round did nothing, of course: Jon'ison had lifted his blade just before the shot was fired, and as he came down, he extended it down, sinking it deep into Sparatus' torso.

The turian councillor's eyes went wide as he looked up at Jon'ison. Shock registered in his eyes, and this made Jon'ison grin..

Finally, Sparatus gripped the blade, before spitting in Jon'ison's eye. The commander pulled back, wiping blue blood from his eyes as he did. "You... You  _child..._ "

It was at this that the Councillor collapsed. Jon'ison growled, before suddenly feeling bullets deflect off of his shields. He then turned around, seeing Ashley down there with her assault rifle aimed at him. He ducked down, grabbing his blade and yanking it out of Sparatus' torso before he turned to Anderson. The Councillor backed up, bringing his hand up to his ear quickly.

"Code Red," Anderson shouted. "I repeat, we have a code red!"

Jon'ison growled, turning to Anderson. However, before he could move there, Ashley had rushed ahead, firing rounds at Jon'ison. The artician jumped back, growling in displeasure as he saw the C-Sec guns turn on his ground team. He saw a large clump of them rise up, before suddenly they all slammed down on the pavement. Shepard then turned, watching as the other side experienced something similar. The distraction was enough that everyone else on the ground team was able to get to cover rather quickly, and it was only then he noticed the C-Sec officers that began to run around on his level.

Jon'ison turned back to Anderson, but before he could say anything Ashley was pushing him straight through a door.

"Williams!"

Jon'ison then glowed green, before bringing his hand back. Ashley was yanked backwards pretty hard, but the door ahead of her had closed quickly. Jon'ison growled, before he turned to see Valern and Tevos duck through a similar door. He growled, before turning away from them and towards Ashley.

He was about to head to her when a group of C-Sec officers came up, barricading him and aiming their weapons at him. Jon'ison looked at them, all of them taking position.

"Stand down!" they shouted.

But Jon'ison chuckled. "You have no idea what you deal with!" he said, his whole body glowing green. "Here, allow me to show you!"

And with this, he lifted his hand, a ball of green energy gathering in his palm. He then threw the ball of energy right at the C-Sec officers: it exploded at their feet, and the entire group was thrown off their feet. As they landed a short distance away, he continued to walk, pulling out his pistol. He saw a C-Sec soldier on the upper level: with cold precision, he fired his pistol with one hand, sending him falling to the floor. As Shepard turned, he began to shoot down everyone in his way to Ashley with cold precision, and if there was anyone he missed the fire from his ground team achieved much the same effect.

Jon'ison then stepped towards Ashley, seeing her crouch behind cover. She had just fallen back into cover, and had only just looked up to Jon'ison she was. She growled, but did not dare to move.

"So you knew after Liara, huh?" Jon'ison asked.

"I actually went to that other galaxy," said Ashley. "I've known for a long while." She then pushed herself to her feet, breathing in. "And I'm not the only one, now. I wouldn't go near Tuchanka, if I were you. If I know Wrex, his reaction to seeing you again is probably going to be to fire a shotgun at you."

"So at least some of the krogan are lost," said Jon'ison. He shook his head. "What a downright shame. They'll go extinct in a few hundred years, and what'll we be left with then?" He then turned to the door. "And what remains of the Council?"

"They're going to the Destiny Ascension," she said. "Your attack on Sparatus warranted a code read, and that means they go there."

But instead, Jon'ison grinned, lifting his hand up. "Good," he said. "They won't get very far."

And here, Ashley frowned in shock. "What?" she asked.

Jon'ison then looked up at the window, smirking at how they had simply replaced the window after Sovereign's demise instead of covering it with something more. "Oh, you'll see," he said. "We mean business, the lot of us..."

But here, Ashley smirked. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, Jon'ison," she said.

And here, Shepard frowned. "Why?"

Ashley's smirk transformed into a grin. "Oh, you'll see,  _Skipper_ ," she said, almost spitting out the last word as she looked to the same window.

* * *

Ever since Jon'ison Shardan's arrival, the space around the Citadel had begun to grow more in activity. Cruisers had moved into a position as if to defend the Citadel, a few turian vessels had come in through the mass relay network, and a large number of Alliance frigates waited in the wings, as it were. There was a kind of tension in the air, one that could be cut with a butter knife.

It was into this atmosphere that the SSV Orizaba had entered the scene. Sura T'Lenya stood at a control panel, with Admiral Stephen Hackett standing a very short distance behind her. All around them, various technicians both organic and geth working at control panels. Here, Admiral Hackett stepped forward, looking to Sura as they both inspected the hologram of the Citadel at the front of the Orizaba's CIC.

"Well, here we are," said Sura.

Hackett nodded. "Undoubtedly, the Normandy SR-2 is already here," he said. He then turned to a geth manning a nearby terminal. "Prepare to do a deep scan."

"Affirmative," the unit replied. "Running a deep scan."

And then, suddenly, a series of angry red dots began to appear all over the display. Many were featured far too close to most of the ships from the Citadel's fleets for comfort, and as the scan finished, they realized there were far too many all around the Citadel.

"Damn..." said Admiral Hackett. "The Council should've listened to Ashley Williams, then."

"Yeah, looks like it," said Sura. She shrugged. "Good thing Victus  _insisted_ we have a contingency plan in place." She then turned to the same geth that had run the scan. "Well, you ready to show these guys our new toys?"

The technician nodded, before quickly moving its hands over the terminal's controls. "Affirmative."

Sura acknowledged the geth with a nod, before turning to all the red dots that were showing on the radar. "Good," she said. "Let's show them what we know..."

And with this, the ship rocked a little bit. It was not long, however, before an electrical discharge shot out of the Orizaba. As it did, though, the electricity arced towards what seemed like thin air: however, upon contact, the arc of electricity revealed a ship, the ship decloaking the instant the electricity struck it. This then arced over to more thin air: the electricity arced in multiple directions decloaking ships, all of them seeming to list to the side slightly as the discharge hit them. The discharge did not really travel super far, but the vessels were revealed.

Admiral Hackett nodded. "Wow, worked exactly as planned," he said. He then turned to the technicians. "And you broadcasted the coordinates of the rest of their ships to the Fleets around the Citadel, right?"

"Affirmative," the geth replied.

Sura nodded. "Good," she said. "Let's show our artician friends what happens when you  _lie_ to us for thirty years, shall we?"

* * *

As soon as Jon'ison turned his gaze up to the stars, a volley of torpedoes rushed for thin air. However, they impacted against something invisible in the sky, and when they did, his eyes bulged out as he saw his ships come into view. Before that ship could react, however, a few more torpedoes hit it in its strongest spots, and then the craft blew apart before him.

And here, Ashley grinned. "Now how do you like  _that_ , Skipper?" she asked.

Jon'ison glared at her. "You had that planned," he said.

"Only if the talks went south," said Ashley. "And I think it's safe to say they did. I told them not to trust you, but here we are."

Jon'ison opened his mouth to respond, but before he could he heard the comms chatter pick right up in his ear. " _Supreme Commander, they're on to us! Our ships are getting bombarded by-ah!_ "

The feed abruptly cut out into static. Jon'ison frowned, looking back at Ashley and going through multiple feeds. All around, as he looked up at the space battle that began to wage across the Citadel, he realized that the same story was happening everywhere else.

" _Sir, our volleys are doing nothing! They've updated their shield technology!_ "

" _Sir, what's going on? Our shields are already at-agh!_ "

" _Sir, we're disabled and unable to move! Their ship is getting closer! Abort, abort!_ "

He then shook his head, turning to the dreadnought he knew would be nearby. "Hey, get some freaking exions into those ships!"

" _We're trying, sir, but we can't!_ " said the captain of the dreadnought. " _We can't get them close enough. We're trying to get one in, but I don't know how successful that's going to be!_ "

"Dammit!" Jon'ison whirled around. He then looked up, watching the battle rage on. Other torpedoes began to race across the sky. It was all torpedoes: he did see a few plasma slugs get thrown about, but they seemed to be stopped by shielding technology much more advanced than anything. He thought back to one of the reports he'd read: the report mentioned that this galaxy had gotten their hands on a dreadnought from when Jodie had escaped the Obschesto, but he never in his wildest dreams thought it would be the Council.

And there it was: the Council fleets had access to all of their best technologies, save one that he  _dared_ not hope to use in a situation where there was a shortage of large targets. And if they had that...

Jon'ison turned to Sugrak Kalpalan. He whistled to get the praetorin's attention, and as soon as he did this Sugrak whipped his head around.

"What is it?" asked Sugrak.

"Is everything in place on Omega?" asked Jon'ison.

"It should be, yes," Sugrak shouted back.

Jon'ison nodded. "Sound the retreat!" he shouted.

Sugrak jumped up in shock, his eyes widening. "W-what?" he asked. "Sir, with all due respect, that's a bad idea!"

"We can reconvene at Omega and plan from there," said Jon'ison.

"No!" Sugrak replied. "We can easily call in reinforcements from beyond the Citadel, this battle isn't lost yet!"

"These guys are  _much_ better equipped than we thought they were," said Jon'ison. "We're getting our asses  _handed_ to us, and sending in reinforcements is only going to get more people killed. We need to get out of here, reconvene!"

Sugrak sighed, shaking his head. "To any still-functioning ships out there, retreat! We'll be out shortly."

Jon'ison nodded, before grabbing Ashley by the shoulder and holding a gun to her ribs. "And if you don't mind, we'll be taking you with us."

Ashley growled, but said nothing. "I'm not working for you," she said.

"No," said Jon'ison. "And I'm not making you. You'd probably be a nice bargaining chip if we need it."

Ashley chuckled. "Just try it," she challenged him with a grin.

Jon'ison growled, before turning to everyone with him. "Come on, we're getting out of here!" he shouted. "Back to the Normandy!"

A disappointed groan from Jack was all Shepard needed to hear that his command had gotten through to them. With this, he turned tail, taking his pistol and holding it up to Ashley's rib as he began to head towards the way back to the Normandy.

* * *

Anderson came running over to the Destiny Ascension's brig quickly. Anderson looked to the ship's captain as he approached. The older asari simply acknowledged Anderson with a nod, looking out of the viewport to the battle ahead. Out there, they saw the retreat of a bunch of ships with unrecognizable, angular designs. Anderson watched as the ships began to retreat, a few unlucky ones getting shot down by Council craft.

"Good, you made it," said the captain. "I was worried about you, a little. Didn't think you'd survive the initial thing when we first got the call to ready the Destiny Ascension for possible departure."

"Unfortunately, one of us did not make it, Matriarch Lidanya," Tevos said as she approached.

Lidanya blinked, before looking over the group. Upon noticing Sparatus' absence, she sighed. "I see," she said. "I suppose now is a good time to begin looking for a new turian Councillor?"

"Now's not the time," Anderson said. "There are a lot of things to discuss, but now is not the time to do so." He then looked to the battle. "The ships are retreating?"

"Someone in one of the ships intercepted a retreat order," said Lidanya. "As far as I know, ships are retreating."

"I assume we're sparing them," said Valern.

"They're basically running with their tail between their legs," said Lidanya. She then turned to Anderson. "I am now very glad you had us refit the Council fleet with the technology from that battleship out beyond the Veil, and from the counters you developed. It really helped our fleets here."

"Absolutely it did," said Anderson. He then frowned. "I  _knew_ we shouldn't have trusted him."

Tevos nodded. "We should have listened to the trepidation," she said. She then sighed, rubbing her forehead. "And for our folly, we have lost a dear colleague. I am sorry."

Anderson shook his head. "I guess I wanted to believe we could get him to see reason," he said. "But what's done is done. Either way, I think this is a pretty clear indication of what they want."

"And now that they know we're outfitted with ways to counter their technology, they'll be back stronger when we meet next time," Lidanya pointed out. She then stood up. "I guess it's time we prepared for war, Councillor."

"Yes, I suppose it is," said Anderson. He then turned to Tevos. "I will speak to Victus and Hackett about this. I assume you will handle the Matriarchy?"

"Yes," said Tevos. She then turned to face Valern. "And you? Don't you have a genophage to deal with?"

Valern nodded. "I  _finally_ convinced the Dalatrass to go with it," he said. "And luckily for us, we found a very eager STG scientist to head the group handling that..."

* * *

Garrus Vakarian growled as soon as the smoke finally began to dissipate from within the clinic. It was then that he noticed there were no customers in the waiting room. The only thing surrounding him and his entourage was a bunch of destroyed LOKI mechs. The mechs were scattered all about, and Garrus took a second to survey them, his visor going into overdrive to find any signs of life.

"Dammit!" Garrus shook his head, before turning to Tei'lo. "Does anyone see any bodies here?"

"No, sir." One of Garrus' men came running from the back. "No bodies are around here."

"Not even the doctor?" Garrus said.

"No, sir," the same man replied. He then looked around. "Where the hell did this doctor store so many LOKI mechs."

"Doesn't matter." Garrus turned to Tei'lo, watching as the white-armored exion approached. "I  _told_ you to look into these guys  _earlier,_ and to screw the arrest!"

"You did, and I should've," said Garrus. He looked around. "But we only had suspicion. I may not have liked C-SEC's red tape, but I'm not going to jump in on just a suspicion. That's going too far."

"Yes, and you had the tools to get information faster than this!" Tei'lo shook her head. "And now that quarian is going to go to the Fleet and tell them who-knows-what."

But Garrus shook his head. "Neither of them can have gotten that far," he said. He then tilted his head. "Besides, you know where their ship is going to be docked from the files you downloaded during that skirmish, right?"

"Yes," said Tei'lo. "And anyway, this doesn't change anything about Omega."

Garrus nodded, before opening his omni-tool. As he was about to, though, he suddenly heard a call come. The omni-tool's hologram flashed red, and everyone in the room looked at him. Garrus swallowed, his shoulders suddenly slumping.

"Oh no, what now?" asked Tei'lo.

Garrus frowned, answering the call. "Hello?" asked the turian.

" _Garrus, there you are!_ " He was able to hear the gunfire behind the sound of Jon'ison Shardan's voice.

Garrus' frown deepened, and he walked forward. "Shepard, what the hell is going on back there?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to be dealing with the Council?"

" _They were prepared,_ " Jon'ison replied. " _So, you know, we can't exactly take the Citadel now. We're gonna have to come back to it._ "

Garrus shook his head. "I  _told_ you to be careful about how you approached that," he said. "And I  _told_ you to update your tech to deal with ours. You should've expected things like this to happen the second they got that dreadnought!"

" _That was taken by the geth, they wouldn't have a reason to share it with the Council!_ " Jon'ison growled. " _If anything, they'd use it to wipe out the quarians. And that's why I'm heading to the Fleet next._ "

"The Fleet?" asked Garrus. "You think they'll take you in?"

" _We've got this whole story about how we saved Tali from geth units, they'll have to,_ " he said. " _We'll be there before that other quarian with the cure does._ "

"Yeah, about that," said Garrus. "You might want to move faster on that, Shepard. We... weren't able to apprehend him."

" _Are you shitting me!?_ " Jon'ison shouted. " _You had... actually, no, you didn't have one job. You had two. At least tell me_ something  _has gone right on the other one._ "

And here, Garrus smiled. "We have a contingent taking out the Blue Suns right as we speak," he said. "In about five minutes, they'll be out of the picture, and we've put our tendrils into Afterlife. Aria isn't going  _anywhere_."

" _Good,_ " said Shepard. " _Then go and take Omega. It'll be one of our main ports of call to strike back against the Council._ "

"Right..." Garrus casted a side-long glance, before he ended the call. As soon as he did, he sighed. "Well, they didn't take the Citadel."

Tei'lo nodded. "Honestly?" she asked. "Thank the spirits for that. I think we would've had too much on our hands trying to get  _everyone_ in this galaxy to accept our justice all at once."

"They forced his hand," said Garrus. He then shook his head, before opening a call to all of them. "This is Mahadood to all commanders: as soon as the Blue Suns are down, I will need a force to block off some docks that leave Omega. You will get coordinates in a bit. In the meantime, now is the time to begin preparing to take down Aria. You know what to do!"

With this, Garrus turned the call off, opening a message to send to the commanders. As he entered the coordinates, frowned, the frown not visible behind the helmet he wore.

"I'll get you yet, doctor," he said. "And your little quarian assistant, too!"


	14. Chapter 14

 

Kalo had seen no need to move quickly after a certain point. He'd had to discard his old scarf, of course, but he made well sure to made it look like a mugging gone wrong. It was the only way he knew to shake off Mahadood and his men: he knew that Mahadood had recognized him by his hood, and so that had to go. Without that, he could blend in amongst the many quarians on Pilgrimage.

But that was about where his options ended. Even with that little bit of time bought, it was only a matter of time until Mahadood or his men found him again. Omega was not a planet, after all, and there were only so many ways he could exit. That, and the one guaranteed exit he had went up in smoke when he could not find Mordin.

He knew the risks of the doctor's plan: Mordin had made it very clear that Kalo could not contact Mordin if they lost each other, given that Mahadood's men were always patrolling the airwaves for errant activity. But at that moment, Kalo wished he could contact the doctor. At least then he'd know something of how to get himself out of this mess he had gotten into.

He sighed, looking to where the immunobooster was stored on his suit. "No, Kalo, you are doing the right thing," he said to himself. "This will save a people."

He then shook his head, before continuing on. He turned down an alley, looking over his shoulder as he proceeded. There were a scant few people down there at this hour: an elcor merchant, an asari with an overelaborate clothing style and a reddish head crest, a few krogan, and then some humans in the regular dirty clothing of Omega's streets.

Kalo sighed. Finally, after a while of running, he had found some reprieve from the constant white armor that he knew Mahadood's men had. And after spending the last hour running for his life, that came as a relief.

He thus slumped against the alleyway wall, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. He thought to the ships out on the docks. There had to be  _some_ way to get a ship off of Omega's dock before Mahadood could find him. He also knew that getting past the battleships that he knew would be waiting around the relay would be difficult if not impossible, but he knew he could handle that part later: now, there was simply getting off of Omega, and how to do that quickly. He began to think of who would be willing to do that.

Mordin had warned him that batarians either would take him to be their slave or were part of a Blue Suns outlet, so that was out. He then thought of Xerxes' friend Carhon. And as he thought about them, he realized they were a possibility. If he could get into contact with them somehow... He did not know Carhon particularly well, but he knew Xerxes very well. Maybe they would be able to help him.

And then he paused as he pushed off of the wall: he realized then that they were half a ward away. Aside from that, he knew that if Mahadood's men found out that Xerxes was a fugitive of their galaxy, then they would hunt him down first if they were ready to take over Omega. But at the same time, they had to have a craft somewhere, he knew they did. Thus, even despite the risk, they were his best chance to get off of Omega.

Still, he knew he had to make do somehow: without his sash to identify him, he knew that convincing Xerxes that he was there would be difficult, and would likely require him to hang around Afterlife, and that would require incessant guarding. Still, it would be worth it to get off of Omega quickly, and if he could manage it quickly enough, it would be good to get Xerxes and Carhon off of Omega as well.

There was just one question: how to get in contact with them without revealing himself...

He exhaled, before steeling himself, knowing that asking around could attract attention to himself. He paused, looking around him nervously and rubbing his upper arm.

"Well, there is only one way," he said to himself.

And thus, Kalo stepped out of the alley. It was right as he turned out of the alleyway, however, that he bumped headlong into someone. The force was enough to knock him down to the ground, and he blinked in shock as his butt hit the floor.

"Oh, sorry," Kalo said. "I was not looking where I was going, and-"

"Well, this is interesting."

Kalo froze. It was only as he looked up that he recognized the white armor of the two men he had bumped into.

"Hello, quarian," one of the men said. He then holstered his assault rifle, leaning close to Kalo as he analyzed the quarian. He put on a rather friendly countenance, but the way the armored man's shoulders were hunched sent alarm bells clanging all around Kalo's awareness. "Are you alright?"

Kalo swallowed, hoping the white-armored men did not notice. "Y-yes, sir," he said. "I am alright." He then looked past the men in white, trying to step past them. "I'm sorry, I need to get some parts for-"

"Interesting that you don't have a scarf," the second guard interrupted. He then crossed his arms. "Where's your scarf?"

Kalo shook his head. "I-I must have lost it somewhere, I do not know where," he said. He then looked to the side. "I do not know how, but-"

"Don't you have to unfasten those things?"

This question from the white-armored men caused Kalo to pause immediately. He then looked to the side, swallowing and wondering exactly what excuse he could use in that moment. His brain wracked itself for answers, and he swallowed nervously.

"Well, if you must know, I-"

"He is under my employ."

Kalo stiffened. He then turned slightly, seeing the red-crested asari he had seen earlier walk over. Her expression carried an air of authority to it, but it was almost motherly. She sauntered over, radiating confidence as she looked at the two armored men before Kalo. And even watching her, Kalo felt some of the anxiety melt away.

The two armored men leaned back. "J-Justicar!" they said.

The first one bowed. "I-I am sorry," he said. "This is most unexpected. I thought one such as yourself did not typically enlist the aid of a quarian."

"He is well connected to the underworld of Omega," the asari said. "He has been a helpful contact in some of my exploits." She then glanced at Kalo. "As for his lack of scarf, do not worry: I made him take it off."

"Why would you do that?" the second guard asked.

"He can blend in better," she said. "Even the Blue Suns would be able to recognize a quarian's scarf after a while, yes?"

The white-armored men then bowed their heads, before stepping back almost apologetically. "Our apologies, Justicar," the first of them said. "Let us not get in the way of your work, then. There is much to be done."

"No doubt," the Justicar replied.

Kalo paused, watching the two white-armored men retreat in the opposite direction. He then breathed in nervously, his gaze remaining locked on them as they walked off. They finally retreated past a wall further away, and it was only then that Kalo released the breath he was holding.

He turned to the asari, seeing her still standing there. "Thank you," he said.

"There is no need for thanks," said the asari. "It was clear they would not leave you alone. They have a tendency towards belligerence, if they want something." She then looked past Kalo. "They were belligerent with me to attempt to get me to join them."

"But you did not?" Kalo asked.

"No," she said. "The Code requires no allies, and allies such as these certainly have hidden motivations. I know not what they are, but something about them tells me not to trust them." She then looked down to him. "I assume you are being hunted by them?"

Kalo nodded. "Yes..." He then looked up. "You would be right not to trust them. There are..." He then paused, looking around. "I cannot be found by them."

And here, the Justicar's position changed. "And why is that?" she asked.

Kalo shook his head, turning away. "I cannot tell you, at least not in a public place," he said. "What I can tell you is that I need to leave Omega, before they find me." He then swallowed, before pausing. "But I still do not know how I will do that."

The Justicar paused, before looking to where the white-armored men had walked away. She then turned to the quarian. Kalo then turned to her, looking up. Her expression was almost unreadable to the quarian, but there was still something calming about it.

Finally, she looked up. "Then it is true, that they are planning to take over Omega?" she asked.

Kalo exhaled. "And other places," he said. "They will not stop at Omega. They have designs on this whole galaxy." He then looked at the Justicar. "I know where they come from, as well. That is not as much of a secret as this group thinks it is, but these people have stopped at nothing to ensure it remains a secret. They have captured civilians as well, made them vanish from this galaxy. And whatever designs they have, I do not think they are good designs..."

The Justicar nodded. "Perhaps you can tell me, then," she said. "I am not beholden to their whims: as a Justicar, I hold my own morals."

And then Kalo turned to her. "And why help me?" he asked.

"You seem very much in distress," said the Justicar. She then gestured to a secluded corner nearby. "And the Code says I must protect the innocent."

"I would not know if I am completely innocent in this, but nevertheless I must be more so than any of those white-armored men," Kalo said. He then opened his omni-tool. "This is a long explanation. Please, bear with me, Justicar."

"Please, call me Samara," the Justicar replied.

Kalo acknowledged her with a nod, before he pulled her aside. "So this is what I know of them..."

* * *

Xerxes watched nervously as Carhon bent over the desk. He had frantically opened his omni-tool, gazing out onto the seedy underbelly of Omega as his hand lay flat against the desk.

"Come on... Come on..."

The batarian was met with silence. And then, after a long while, the batarian lifted his hand, forming it into a fist and slamming it against the desk. He then closed his eyes, sinking down as he hunched over the desk.

Xerxes swallowed the lump in his throat. "That's... good news, right?"

"I wish I had some, Xerxes, but I don't have that," Carhon replied. He then turned to face Xerxes. "Nobody in the Suns is responding to my attempts to hail them."

"Shit." Xerxes then stepped back. "You don't think that means..."

"The Suns are down," Carhon replied. He then looked around the room, at the pieces of mostly packed equipment they had in the room. "They won't be fully crippled, they're too big for that. But on Omega, their presence is nothing at this point. And if you're right and these are agents from this other galaxy, then they may not get this place back."

"Dammit!" Xerxes turned around, looking at the equipment. "Why did the Council reject our requests for reinforcements?"

"I don't know." Carhon shrugged. "Maybe they didn't see it as a priority?

"That's one shitty set of priorities, if they use this as a back-up base of some kind," said Xerxes.

"We don't know if that's what they want, though!" Carhon replied. He then shook his head, sinking down and sighing. "What are we going to do?"

Xerxes shook his head, moving towards one of the pieces of equipment. "Well, if the Suns are down, Omega's next," he said. "And that can only mean one thing: we've got to get the hell off this rock. There's nothing more we can do but report back to the Council."

Carhon nodded, himself going for a piece of equipment on the far end of the room. "I was afraid you would say that, Xerxes," he said. He looked up. "What about your quarian friend?"

"Kalo?" asked Xerxes. He paused. "Shit... Some of the comms chatter I picked up was that they were still looking for him."

"Then he may be safe yet," said Carhon. "I think we should try to find him first, before we get off of this asteroid."

Xerxes nodded. "That sounds like a good idea," he said. "But how to do it without these people figuring it out...?"

"We'll have to get close," said Carhon. He then picked up another case. "We'll figure it out on the way to the craft. Right now, we can't waste any time. If these guys are good, they'll trace us here, and we'll be screwed if that happens."

"Right, take it one thing at a time," he said. "Come on, let's get going."

The batarian rushed forward, his hand reaching out to grab another case. Xerxes then nodded, making his way to the door and opening it, pausing to make sure the coast was clear before he rushed out, Carhon not far behind him.

* * *

Garrus checked his assault rifle one last time as he approached the entrance to Afterlife. As he did this, he holstered it, turning back to Tei'lo as they approached.

"So there's no news on the quarian yet?" he asked.

"No," said Tei'lo. "Nobody's apprehended him yet. We have been out on the look-out, though. Someone found his scarf elsewhere, so we've narrowed our search to quarians without scarves."

"Good work," said Garrus. He then sighed as they passed through the doors. "Let's not worry about that, though. For now, we've got a bigger fish to fry."

"Time to fuck with Aria?" asked Tei'lo.

Garrus nodded. "Time to fuck with Aria," he said.

And with this, they stepped into Afterlife, the brilliant neons blaring as usual. The same clientele was present at the bars and the booths, with some drunk batarians hanging off the bar and maybe a human or two leering at an asari stripper as she danced for them. Garrus paid it no mind, though: he turned straight to the side of the club, heading straight for the stairway he knew would take him to Omega's queen.

At the foot of the stairs, he walked straight up to one of Aria's security guards, who frowned as they looked him over. The barefaced turian tightened his grip on his assault rifle, stepping back a little bit.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Only the top dogs can come in here!"

"Well, considering I'm the only top dog on Omega now, that's changed," said Garrus. "The Eclipse, the Blue Suns, the Blood Pack are  _all_ gone from this asteroid. Unless you want to be next, I suggest you let us see Aria, because this is going to end badly for you if you don't."

The guard frowned, but before he could say anything more, Garrus heard the sound of heels smacking the floor. There, in her usual white vest and black spandex suit, Aria T'Loak walked forward, the perpetual frown on her face deeper than usual. She looked over Garrus briefly, before turning to Tei'lo and giving her a look as well.

"Huh, it's the purity squad," Aria began. "Had enough trying to clean up these streets?"

"Actually, we had a proposal for you," Garrus replied. "And it is urgent that we speak about it now."

Aria nodded, turning to the turian guard who had stopped them. "I'll take it from here," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," the turian replied before stepping aside.

Garrus and Tei'lo nodded, before they both followed Aria up a final set of stairs. There, they stood in Aria's little suite. It looked out onto the depravity of Afterlife, the bright neons lighting up the suite. Garrus and Tei'lo eyed the couches where one batarian guard sat: they looked very comfortable, and Garrus noted that the material seemed much more expensive than was commonly seen on the asteroid. The batarian gave Garrus a soft glare, before turning back to Aria.

The asari stood, looking out on Afterlife. "I recall when you first came here, you told me you'd never come back here until you wiped all of the mercenary groups out on Omega," she said.

"We've done that," Garrus said. "The last of the Suns has been cleaned out. That's every gang on Omega, now."

"Hmph." Aria gave a dismissive wave. "Congratulations. You better have some idea of how you're going to fill our docks now, though. I do  _not_ want this rock to get too empty."

"Actually, that's what this is about," said Garrus. He then looked to Tei'lo. "And I brought my specialist here to explain. All of the merc groups are gone and we have taken up the power vacuum in their place. As such, the situation's changed enough that we feel the need to update you about our ultimate objectives."

Aria frowned, turning towards Garrus. "This better not be a coup," she said.

"It doesn't have to be," said Tei'lo, as she brought her hands to her helmet. "Perhaps it is time to finally explain what we are."

Aria then watched as Tei'lo removed her helmet, revealing the shock of red hair underneath. Her eyes glowed an unnatural green, and she looked at Aria with a frown. Garrus stepped back, watching as Tei'lo looked to the couch, before gently tossing the helmet onto there.

Aria simply looked on. "Those aren't implants," she commented. "Not if you've waited until this long to reveal your secrets."

"You have that right, Aria T'Loak," Tei'lo replied. "I am Tei'lo Luvel, an intelligence specialist from the Galactic Order's Directive of Galactic Intelligence. You will not have heard of the Galactic Order, at least not until recently. That is by design." She then walked to the window, looking out to Afterlife. "Have you looked at galactic news lately, by any chance?"

Aria frowned. "Why should I care what goes on in the rest of the galaxy?" she asked.

But the batarian stood up, opening his omni-tool. "Wait... You're not with  _those_ guys that just attacked the Citadel, are you?" he asked.

Aria blinked, turning to the batarian. "The Citadel?" she asked.

The batarian nodded. With this, Aria turned as he opened his omni-tool, looking on as newsfeeds flashed across her eyes. Garrus watched, silently letting out a sigh of disapproval. As soon as Aria finished looking at her news feeds, she then turned to Garrus.

"You aren't just some merc company, are you?" Aria asked.

Garrus chuckled. "Smart," he said. "No, we aren't."

"We are from a galaxy that your galaxy's criminal enterprises have wronged," Tei'lo continued. "The mercenary gangs on Omega were never our real target: they were but a means to an end. Cerberus was our main target, because they attempted genocide against us."

Aria snorted derisively. "I always knew those fuckers were trouble," she said. "Good thing I never let them on this rock."

"Indeed it is, otherwise our conversation would have been very different," Tei'lo replied. "However, they have been deposed. We now aim at the people that allowed them to have as much power to wrong us as they did."

"The Council?" asked Aria. "What did they do to you?"

"It is not what they did, but what they  _didn't_ do," said Tei'lo.

Aria's frown intensified. "Funny to go after people that had didn't directly fuck with you," she commented.

"They created the conditions that allowed Cerberus to commit near genocide against our galaxy," Tei'lo replied. "They are just as guilty in the proceedings." Tei'lo then began to pace around. "But that is of no concern to you. What does apply to you, is that clearing out Omega was only a means to an end."

"The fact that we've purged some rotten mercenary companies from this place is just the added bonus," said Garrus. "Which brings us to the real reason we're here: Omega is in a strategic spot in the Terminus systems. The Galactic Order's ships will need a port to come to. You could say that it is the closest we can have to a local base to engage in what will soon be an intergalactic war."

Aria frowned. "You pissed off the Council," she said. "You did that, and you expect me to step aside and let you fuel your ships?"

Garrus nodded. "We do," he said. "In turn, we won't make an attempt to depose you. You get to sit here on your throne in Afterlife while we conduct our business. We won't even ask you to take part in our little war."

"And before you ask, we  _know_ we can depose you," Tei'lo said. "Look at how quickly the other mercenary groups on Omega fell to our hand."

"You're keeping me alive as a trophy," Aria immediately replied. "You're kidding me if you think I'm going to sit down and take that!"

"We would not depose of you if you agree to our conditions," said Tei'lo.

"And what power will I have in making decisions around here on this rock?" asked Aria. She then leaned towards Teilo. "You think I keep Patriarch down there for any old reason? I know what he represents, and I know I'll be the same to you."

"Even though we make no executive decisions, like you?" asked Garrus. "You're the one letting the crime lords run rampant around here."

"Only as long as they don't fuck with me," said Aria. "And you are presently fucking with me. I'm  _not_ going to give up complete control of this asteroid to  _anyone_  without a fight."

"I'd think about that more carefully," said Tei'lo. "We took down all three of the merc groups here, and none of them ever saw it coming. And on top of that, you'll be fighting against an entire galaxy. I'm telling you now, we're just two people with an army force, but our superiors? They have much more firepower than you could ever hope to get, and without any mercenary groups on this asteroid you would not stand a  _chance._ " Her eyes dimmed slightly. "I've just calculated the chances of survival. They aren't good."

Garrus then turned, watching as Aria frowned, stepping back. "You like having the upper hand, I know that very well," he said. "But here, you don't have an upper hand." He then leaned forward. "For the record, if you resist, we're not going to spare you. Even assuming you live through everything, their usual response is to take you to their galaxy. Good luck breaking out of that."

Aria breathed in, glaring at Garrus and then at Tei'lo. Garrus grinned before stepping forward.

"Well?" he asked. "What's it going to be, Aria?"

* * *

"And that is everything you know?"

"Yes, Justicar Samara. It is pretty damning, I fear..."

"I see. And you hope to give this information to the Fleet."

"They must know. And the galaxy must, too, if we are to fight them effectively. I fear they do not know with what intent these guys are fighting."

Samara nodded. She then stood up, looking back out to the alleyway they had taken refuge in to hide from the white-armored men. Nobody had thought to venture in: one look at the Justicar's armor was enough to ward off most passers by. This had given Kalo plenty of opportunity to tell Samara about the plans of the men in the white armor.

Slowly, Samara looked back out. "I would have gathered they did not mean well simply from the level of deceit required to do such a thing."

"That is what my friends say." Kalo sighed, looking down as he closed his omnitool. "But they believe we can solve this diplomatically. They need to know that solution may be off the table now."

"Or else many innocents could be endangered," Samara finished. She then looked to the side. "I intended to stay on Omega for a little longer. I came here to fulfill a mission, but found it fulfilled. I have been keeping the peace until now: was the Goddess herself telling me to stay here?"

"You were on a mission?" asked Kalo.

"A very personal one." Samara turned. "I arrived on my own craft to that end. It has remained docked at Omega, at the behest of Aria T'Loak herself."

Kalo blinked in surprise. "A craft?" He then paused. "Then if you could get back to it and get me on somehow..."

"Yes," said Samara. She then nodded. "So far, the white-armored men have sought no conflict with me. I do not know if it is out of reverence, or out of a misplaced sense that they can still attain my aid, but they have not antagonized me in anyway. If we move quickly, I can use that to our advantage."

Kalo nodded. "There are others on my side here on Omega," he said. "I must try to see if we can leave with them as well."

Samara turned. "And where do you expect to find them?" she asked.

"I don't know," said Kalo. "But I do know they have been attempting to monitor Omega as best they can. I dare not contact them myself, however."

"Do you have their contact information?" asked Samara.

"Of course." Kalo opened his omni-tool, going straight to Carhon's contact information and opening it in front of Samara. "Here. It's two guys, Carhon and Xerxes. Please, I don't want to leave Omega without them. Especially if there is something they know about what is happening."

Samara nodded, opening her own omni-tool and entering the contact information. "We will see what we can do," she said. "Be prepared for the possibility that we may not be able to help them."

"I know," said Kalo. "But I want to at least try."

"That in itself is admirable," Samara noted.

With that, she finished entering Carhon's contact information, before opening a channel to Carhon on her omni-tool.

* * *

Carhon and Xerxes paused, looking past a bunch of crates at the white-armored men stationed in front of one of the docks. The white-armored men looked back towards the heart of Omega, and stood so still that Xerxes was convinced they had become statues at some point.

"Dammit." Carhon pulled back, looking to Xerxes. "They're right in front of the transport."

"Shit." Xerxes pulled away, turning to Carhon as he moved away from the crates. "This isn't good. How are we supposed to get off now?"

Carhon rubbed the back of his head. "We could..." He looked up. "There may be Blue Suns survivors."

"We can't trust that," said Xerxes. They may be stationed there, too. And besides, you can't reach them."

"I can't, but that's the only idea I have right now," said Carhon. "Trust me, I'd love to steal a craft, but I'm not that good at it. You remember Illium."

Xerxes glared to the side. "I remember that very well," he noted, before turning away, setting off away from the dock. "Whatever it is, we need to plan away from here, because we can't exactly-"

It was here that Xerxes' omni-tool began to ring. He perked up, before opening the omni-tool. He balked briefly at the contact, glancing back at Carhon. Without a word, Xerxes began to rush away, Carhon not far behind as the turian answered the call.

"Kalo?" asked Xerxes.

" _Xerxes!_ " Kalo's sigh of relief was incredibly heavy. " _Goodness, you are alright! I thought they might have taken you again!_ "

"Well, I think these guys will find out I'm a much more slippery bastard than I was before," Xerxes said. "And I guess you're trying to get off too?"

" _Yes,_ " said Kalo. " _I cannot go with the Doctor: they found out about what I was doing with Doctor Solus before we could escape with the information, and I do not know where he is. But, I may have a way off of this rock._ "

"Really?" asked Xerxes. "How?"

" _Justicar,_ " Kalo replied.

Xerxes tensed slightly, but Carhon leaned forward. "Justicar?" the batarian asked.

" _Hello._ " The voice that replied was silky and distinctly feminine. " _You must be friends of Kalo's._ "

"I... yes." Xerxes swallowed somewhat. "I think that's fair to say."

"You can get us off?" asked Carhon.

" _I have my own transport,_ " she said. " _At least for now, we also have the advantage that these white-armored men have given preferential treatment to me. I do not know how long that will last, however._ "

" _We are right outside of Afterlife,_ " said Kalo. " _Move quickly. I fear we will not have much time to act._ "

"Right," said Xerxes. "We'll get there as fast as we can."

" _Good,_ " said Kalo. " _I do not know how long we can wait, but we will try. Keelah se'lai._ "

And with this, the call ended. As he closed his omni-tool, Xerxes breathed in. "Crap, a Justicar..." He then turned to Carhon. "You think she'll take it well that I at least tried to turn my life around?"

"I'm sure she will, and anyway we don't have any other choice," said Carhon. "I know a way to Afterlife that will take us about seven minutes to get there. It's the shortest route I know."

Xerxes nodded. "Then let's go," he said. "We haven't got a second to waste!"

The batarian nodded, turning to his left. "Come, it's this way..."

* * *

Aria T'Loak glowed bright blue, her foot planting itself on the part of her little temple where glass used to be. There, below her on the dance floor, the armored turian who had called himself Mahadood pushed himself shakily to his feet. It was at that precise moment that all of her guards had drawn their weapons, pulling up to Aria's little suite and aiming their weapons at Tei'lo.

"What the hell!?" Tei'lo screamed at Aria.

Aria turned to Tei'lo. "Did you not hear what I said the first time?" she asked. "My answer is 'fuck you'. You don't get to come in here and tell me I have to give up everything I've worked for. You've fucked with Aria for the last time."

Tei'lo nodded, before turning away. "Fine," she said. "But don't say we didn't warn you." With this, she turned, bringing one hand to her utility belt.

The guards wasted no time: they immediately opened fire. The screams of various civillians filled the air, but in the wake of the initial burst of gun-fire, Aria was keen to notice that Tei'lo had vanished into thin air. She frowned, and then the other guards noticed that Tei'lo was also nowhere to be found. When they saw this, they stopped firing, before looking around for any sign of where she was.

"Looking for her?"

Mahadood stood up, grinning as he hobbled about on his good leg. Aria turned back out to him, frowning. "Too bad," he said. "She's slippery, and you can't kill her that easily." He then chuckled, shaking his head, revealing to Aria that a piece of the glass hiding his eyes from her had broken away, revealing something of the turian's face. "And, you just underestimated and pissed us off. If a fight's what you want, you're going to get it. Just don't expect to win it."

Aria scoffed. "We'll see about that, turian," she said. "We'll see about-"

And then, the white-armored men began to spill into Afterlife. They filtered in, weapons raised. And then, they began to rain hell on any armored people within. The ones closest to the entrance were gunned down immediately, with patrons further away screaming in terror as they began to attempt to scuttle away from the entrance. Any patrons that had guns immediately drew them, taking whatever shelter they could and aiming straight at the white-armored men.

Aria then grinned, before glowing blue again and standing atop the balcony. "Fine," she said. "Let's give them all a lesson on why you  _don't_ fuck with Aria!"

* * *

Kalo let out a large sigh of relief as soon as the call ended. He leaned against a support pillar, looking up at Samara. "Good," he said. "Good. They are safe."

"And they are not agents of this other galaxy?" asked Samara.

"No," said Kalo. "One of them was actually held captive by them, once. I was part of the group that helped him escape."

"I would never have thought such a thing to exist," said Samara.

She then looked to the side, turning back to Afterlife. The neon marquee above the club's entrance blared at them, almost daring them to enter the club. It was only then that Kalo and Samara both noticed how many white-armored men were around the sides of Afterlife. As they noticed this, they also saw how well armed they all were: they had two types of guns. Kalo immediately recognized the mass accelerator rifles on their backs, but also saw the plasma rifles that were a trademark of the other galaxy. And then, he saw the way they formed a circle around Afterlife.

Kalo moved closer to Samara. "That is not good, is it?" he asked.

"No," said Samara. "I do not think it is."

It was at that precise moment that Kalo and Samara became aware of the sound of gunfire within Afterlife's walls.

The crowd collectively let out a shriek of fright, at which Kalo responded by ducking with a cry. Samara automatically glowed blue, opening her eyes for any sign of fighting outside.

She did not have to wait long: some white-armored men came from the side, sporting rifles the likes of which Samara had never seen. In response, a few people pulled out weapons of their own, aiming it straight at the white-armored men. At this, Samara growled as the first gunshots rang out. Kalo cowered behind Samara, the justicar watching as chaos began to unfold all around them. Bodies began to hit the floor regularly, with both the Order's people and others falling quickly.

And then, the patrons came rushing out of Afterlife. As the gunfire only grew louder, Kalo looked to the side.

"Keelah, this is not good!" he said. He then looked to the entrance to the port, somehow seeing the guards raise their weapons but otherwise remaining still. "And they are not distracted, either!"

Kalo saw someone rush straight to the dock, but before they could get through the person was gunned down indiscriminately. Samara turned to look at this as well, seeing as other people began to rush towards the docks only to be gunned down. Samara frowned, before turning towards the white-armored men.

"They are innocents!" Samara noted, seeing the people falling to the ground. "This cannot be!"

"We cannot take them ourselves," said Kalo. "We need-"

But Samara's blue glow seemed to brighten just a bit as she walked forward.

"Bear witness to the wrath of a Justicar, Kalo'Veera nar Idenna."

With this, Samara lifted her hand, suddenly pulling it forward. One of the guards at entrance to the port flew right off the edge, screaming as he fell down to what must have been his doom. The second man at the head only had enough time to turn towards Samara before the Justicar rushed forward, gripping his neck and punching his helmet hard enough to reduce it to glass shards embedded inside of a clearly non-human face.

Kalo jumped at the savagery, but he got no break as some more white-armored men approached Samara. Without hesitation, the asari threw up a barrier, deflecting a pair of shots from their weapons. Kalo had barely gotten to see the liquid of their plasma rifles arc over Samara's barrier when she threw her hands out, the two men in front of her flying off in separate directions. Kalo saw her move forward, unleashing a singularity as she continued to wage the war on her own.

It was then that he heard footsteps from behind him. He did not even register that a three-fingered hand had laid on his shoulder until it had squeezed on him.

"Kalo, is that you?"

Kalo jumped in shock, turning back to look at Xerxes and Carhon. The two of them looked positively out of breath, with Carhon outright leaning against a wall panting. Kalo blinked, before nodding.

"Yes, yes," said the quarian. "We have to go, now!"

Carhon looked up at Samara. "That is our way out?"

Kalo nodded, finally finding the will to rush forward. "Come!"

With this, Kalo bodily dragged Xerxes over. The gunshots rang out all about them as Carhon took a deep breath in and began to follow them. They smashed into the crowd then trying to get into the port, and Kalo found he had to start shoving people out of the way as soon as he noticed this. He heard more gunshots get fired into the crowd, and a few times Kalo saw the plasma arc by his head. Each gasp he let out as another dead body fell closer to him was like another gasp of breath, and Kalo struggled to stay afloat.

And then, finally, he burst through the crowd. Carhon was oddly enough on his heels, and with some effort Xerxes hauled himself out too. He then pulled his assault rifle, looking forward to Samara as she knelt on the ground to dodge a plasma shot.

This turned fortuitous: Xerxes opened fire, and as he did the two men Samara had been fighting went down without much of a fight. This got Samara's attention, and she turned briefly to see Kalo rushing forward as the rest of the crowd began to close in on them.

She nodded, before turning as more white-armored guards came out of the woodwork. She leapt high, landing in front of a ship and sending a biotic shockwave coursing through the ground. This knocked one of the guards clear off of the platform, and while the second one stumbled Xerxes got him with his own assault rifle as well.

Samara nodded, turning to the ship on her left. "It is this ship," she said, just loudly enough that it could be heard over the din of the crowd. "Come! We must leave at once!"

Kalo, Xerxes, and Carhon were only too glad to follow, and as Samara turned they followed shortly behind. The door closed behind them as soon as they entered the airlock, and as Kalo only then began to wonder when the door had opened he heard bangs on the airlock door.

"Let me in! Let me-uagh!"

Kalo winced, but before he'd had any time to digest this, the airlock opened to the inside of the ship, and Samara wasted no time heading inside.

"I assume we are to go to a destination?" asked Samara.

"Destination doesn't matter!" Xerxes replied as he and Carhon spilled into the small craft. "Make your way to the Mass Relay and make a jump,  _now!_ It frankly doesn't matter where, just as long as we're not  _here_!"

Samara nodded. "And quickly, I gather."

"Their ships need no relays to travel," said Carhon. "We must move before they arrive."

Samara lifted a lever, before tapping a panel on the side. "Then standby," she said. "I will head to the relay as quickly as possible."

With this, she launched from the platform, the ship starting to power towards the relay as Kalo pulled himself into the body of the craft.

* * *

Aria threw a biotic singularity right at the entrance. As several more white-armored men began to float around in the air, she rushed forward, letting out a loud cry as she jumped and punched one of them straight to the wall.

Her guards took care of the others. With this done, she turned back to the club, scanning it for any sign of Mahadood and Tei'lo. She then heard a loud slam on an upper level, before looking to see that a booth had been overturned.

Aria grinned, before leaping up biotically towards the booth that Mahadood was crouched behind. He pulled his assault rifle out, Aria quickly jumping into cover.

"Stop this, Aria!" Mahadood begged. "You can still stop this!"

"You and I both know that's not true," said Aria. "I'm in this for the long haul, you son of a bitch!"

With this, she came out of cover, the gunfire still ringing through the club as she threw a warp at the table. The table slammed straight up into Mahadood's visor, cracking the glass to the point of breaking it. She then yanked the cover away biotically, pulling Mahadood to the ground with it. Aria stilled, her frown remaining constant as she watched Mahadood slowly stand up.

"I'm not going down without a fight," Aria said, stepping closer to Mahadood.

But here, Mahadood looked up. Part of his visor had fallen away, and it was then that Aria saw him look back at her, the turian eyes narrowing in concentration.

"Then we'll just have to make you not fight," he said.

And then, Aria heard a shuffle to her left. She only had time to turn around before she felt something get slapped onto her wrist with extreme force. She only had time to see Tei'lo materialize, before she got shoved off the top floor of Afterlife.

Aria barely had time to recognize how far she had fallen when a pain shot up in her leg. She had just enough time to see more white-armored men shoot down what remained of her security detail before she hit the ground, letting out a loud cry of anguish as she slammed against the floor.

* * *

"Come on, we're almost at the mass relay!"

Kalo gripped Samara's chair upon seeing the first wormhole open. He breathed in, looking at the mass relay that loomed ahead of them. "We have to hurry," he said.

Samara looked to the side, her eyes uncharacteristically wide. "That is their naval capacity?" she asked.

"Yes," said Kalo. "And if they see us, they can control our ship remotely."

Samara nodded, before subtly hitting a panel. "I see," she said. "This is even more worrying than before."

Kalo nodded. "It is," he said. "It is lucky that the Council knows something about them."

"Indeed," Samara commented. She then looked to the mass relay as she approached it. "Well, we are at the mass relay. We jump a few more times?"

"We'll have to," said Xerxes. "Where are we going first?"

"Setting a course for Thessia first," said Samara. "I will make it a point to stay out of Terminus space: if they have taken Omega, the rest of the Terminus Systems will not be too far behind, I think."

"Good thinking," said Carhon.

Samara nodded, turning into the mass relay. The relay crackled to life, and Kalo looked up at the nearby ships as they began to warp in en masse.

The pang of fear subsided as soon as the lightning arced onto the ship, and they had entered the familiar blue tunnel of the relay jump.

* * *

Garrus shook his head, yanking his helmet off. He exhaled, looking up at the ceiling of afterlife. In the aftermath of the bloodbath in Afterlife, there were bodies absolutely littering the floor. He noticed grimly as he walked among the corpses that there were larger puddles of blood that had started to form, which made a soft splash sound any time his foot made contact with the floor-which was often. It was one of the grosser sights Garrus had seen through his life, and that was only amplified by the moans of those unfortunate enough to still be clinging on to life.

It was only then that he noticed the techno was completely absent from Afterlife: the effect made his hide crawl.

And then, he turned, looking to a booth just by the side of the club. There, he saw Aria T'Loak pushing herself to her feet. She growled, letting out a cough as she stood to her feet. The queen of Omega looked as if she had suffered no gunshot wounds, but Garrus noticed from the way she leaned against the table that she must have broken her leg. Her gaze was still as defiant as ever.

It was as he looked at her wrist, however, that he saw the all-important biotic dampener attached to her wrist.

Garrus nodded, before walking up to her slowly. In response, Aria brought her arm forward, as if to throw a warp at him. However, the warp she threw fizzled out almost immediately, vanishing into thin air after only a second. Aria blinked in shock, bringing her arm forward again and releasing several similarly powered warps.

The turian shook his head, moving to pull a piece of glass from his eye ridge. "I don't think you'll be successful if you keep trying that," Garrus replied.

Aria then growled, before turning to what was secured on her wrist. "You've figured out how to dampen biotics," she said.

Garrus nodded, approaching her and pulling out a pair of handcuffs he had kept from his C-SEC days. "They have," he said. "I'm just a detective."

Aria growled. "This won't be the last you hear of me," she said.

"I don't doubt it," said Garrus. He then moved forward, securing Aria's wrists in front of her and cuffing her. "But it'll be in reports from the guys upstairs. There has been exactly one group that has escaped the clutches of the Galactic Order, and given your criminal history I doubt you'll be so lucky as to get Punargathana's sympathies."

"What the hell is this Galactic Order?" asked Aria.

"We told you," said Garrus. "They're from another galaxy." He then gripped Aria by the arm, gently leading her through the bodies on Afterlife's floor. "They're way more powerful than you might think, and much angrier. You can thank Cerberus for that."

Aria shook her head. "That's a funny way of saying that you've allied yourself with wannabe conquerors," said Aria. "Guess I should give you credit, though: you were damn good at holding your cards close to your chest. I never could get a gauge on your motives."

"And now, here we are," said Garrus. He led her out of the club. "We could have avoided all this."

"It's everything or nothing for me," Aria replied. "I don't go halfway with someone else running the show."

Garrus nodded. "Well, that will be your downfall."

Aria shook her head. "And your trust in these guys will be yours," she said.

"We fight for a good cause," Garrus replied. "They won't stop until justice is ensured. That's all I need."

And with this, the two of them began to walk further out of Afterlife. As Garrus stepped out, he was greeted by a few cheers of other members of the FAR, and he grinned.

_Now, to tally our losses and figure out what to do about that quarian..._

* * *

Kalo finally let out a sigh of relief, slumping against the bulkhead. He slid down the side, finally opening his eyes to see the blue tunnel of the relay jump before him.

"Keelah, I did not think I would get out of there," he said.

"Well, all that infighting was good for  _something_ , in the end," said Xerxes. "Still, I'll bet you ten credits Omega's lost to us."

"Yeah..." Carhon snorted derisively. "And after all that, the Council didn't do a damn thing to keep it from falling into enemy hands. Great. Now they're going to start something here."

"We may yet have time." All eyes turned to Samara, who remained stationary at the flight controls. "After all, Kalo's data was evacuated from Omega, yes?" she asked.

Kalo nodded, before standing up. "Oh, speaking of which, I do need to inform the admirals I am coming to them," he said.

"So we don't know where we're going yet," said Xerxes.

"No," said Kalo. "But, I do know that the admirals will take me in." He then opened his omni-tool, walking next to Samara. "After all, I did promise them I would return to the Fleet when I finished my research with Doctor Solus." Kalo shook his head regretfully. "Ah, Doctor Solus..."

"I'm guessing he didn't make it out," said Xerxes.

"I last saw him at the clinic," Kalo replied. "He did not emerge with me..." He closed his eyes. "I hope he is alright."

"He'll be okay," said Xerxes. "You heard Councillor Velarn: he's too clever for these guys."

"I hope you are right..." He then opened his omni-tool, opening a priority line straight to the one person he was told to contact once he had finished his research.

It did not take long for the line to connect. " _Kalo'Veera vas Lying Bastard!_ " Zaal'Koris' voice came on very quickly. " _You have contacted us. Are you certain it is safe?_ "

"I am not on Omega anymore," said Kalo. "My work is complete."

" _Then you know how it works now?_ " asked Zaal'Koris.

"Yes, and more," said Kalo. "I will send you the relevant files of my research soon. In the meantime, I need to know where the Fleet is. This is big, and after we discuss what this means to our relationship with this galaxy we  _must_ inform the Council. What I uncovered is horrid, Admiral. You... You need to know."

" _I don't like the sound of that, but I trust your information,_ " said Zaal. " _You must come quickly, though: we have recently received a transmission from the Normandy._ "

And here, Xerxes and Carhon jumped. Kalo froze in place. "Th... The Normandy, sir?" he asked.

" _Yes,_ " said Zaal. " _Commander Shepard... no, Jon'ison Shardan has come with an offer for peace between his galaxy and our Fleet. You may want to hurry: it has become extremely time-sensitive now. They tried to take the Citadel._ "

"What?" Kalo asked, almost breathlessly.

" _This is the start of a galactic war, I fear,_ " said Zaal. " _And if they offer a cure, we may face mutiny from our Fleet. You must send this data as soon as you can._ "

"Of course, Admiral," said Kalo. He then breathed in. "And... And please, tell Rael'Zorah that what I have uncovered is not something that I think Tali'Zorah would be aware of."

" _...Of course. Keelah se'lai, Kalo'Veera vas Lying Bastard._ "

And with this, the call cut out. He then shook his head, breathing in nervously.

"That seems to change things," said Samara. "He did not tell you where to go."

"If I know the admirals, they will send coordinates shortly," said Kalo. He then opened his omni-tool, looking for the research files. "In the meantime, I must prepare the message with my research. After that, I must contact Admiral Anderson. Even when I am safe, there is much to do."

"Well, we gotta do it," said Carhon. "The galaxy depends on you and all that."

"I know." With this, Kalo began dragging files across his omni-tool, forming a message for Admiral Zaal'Koris as fast as his fingers could move.


	15. Chapter 15

Jon'ison sighed, rubbing his face gently. His quarters remained quiet, and as he sat at the foot of his bed, he could only shake his head. Eventually, he fell back onto the bed, his gaze turned towards the ceiling of his room.

They had left the Citadel with no success. Garrus had messaged him earlier to tell him that Omega at least had gone well, which at least came as a relief. If nothing else, Jon'ison knew they had control of whatever technology rested on the other side of the Omega 4 relay. Indeed, scientists had begun to relate reports of all of the technology they found there, and what they had discovered at that point had been fascinating, if a little bit gruesome. It was something he knew nobody in this galaxy would have: this was the one silver lining Jon'ison had, that with the quarians soon to be in his pockets and the technology held past the Omega 4 relay there, things would be off to a better start.

He heard his door open, and when he sat up, he saw Tali step in. The commander smiled, standing up and walking towards her. "Hey Tali."

"Hey, Jon." Tali hesitated by the fish tank, her gaze turning there.

He still approached, however, smiling at her as he pulled her into a small, affectionate hug. "Well, you'll be back home soon," he said. "We've contacted the fleet with our first offer for the cure."

"And they'll see you there?" asked Tali.

"Of course," said Jon. He then smiled down at her, stepping back. "And then you'll get to reveal your face to your father."

Tali nodded, though Jon'ison noticed there was something about her body language that did not seem so open. "I see." She paused, glancing to the side. "Hey, Jon... I wanted to ask you something?"

Jon'ison noted her complete lack of hesitation with a blink, before he stepped back. "Something on your mind?" he asked.

Tali shrugged. "I... I was curious," she said, a little slower than usual. "You know, you never did tell me what you said to Balak when you saw him before the Alliance took him away. What did you tell him?"

Jon'ison frowned, glancing to the side. "I just went to him and told him what he did was wrong," he said.

Tali frowned, and Jon'ison could tell from the way her eyes narrowed that it was not a frown of mere curiosity. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I don't think you'd see any need to do that, unless you are one to gloat."

"And I'm not," said Jon.

"No," said Tali. "But then what did you say to him?"

Jon'ison shook his head, pacing around the room. "It doesn't matter," he said. "The fact is, I just went down to say a few things, and then I went on my merry way. I had some unfinished things to say." He then shook his head. "What does that even have to do with what's going on right now?"

"I was just thinking of that," said Tali. "After what you did to the Illusive Man on the Citadel, it left me thinking..."

Jon'ison frowned. Something in the back of his mind told him that Jodie had something to do with why Tali was asking about this, for she was the only one who noticed. But then he thought about it again, and wondered how there was any way that Tali could find out about what Jodie knew about Balak.

He thus shook his head, walking forward. "Look, it's nothing like that," he said reassuringly. "Trust me, Balak was a small fry, all things considered. It doesn't matter, does it?"

Before Tali could reply, Jon'ison stepped forward, pulling Tali back into a hug. "Look, I said what I said, and that's that," he said. "We've got bigger problems to worry about now. Let's just focus on what we've got to tell the fleet, yes?"

Tali paused, before leaning into her embrace. "Sure, Jon'ison."

But Tali did not lift her arms to wrap them around the artician. And as she neglected to do this, Jon'ison swallowed nervously, disturbed by the uncertainty of what she was thinking.

* * *

"Well, I suppose now we will finally get to see this Migrant Fleet I've heard so much about."

"It is a marvel, Admiral. I only hope the Fleet will be hospitable to you."

"You think they won't be?"

"It will depend. They are not used to allowing outsiders so close."

"We'll see."

Jon'ison looked out as the pilot brought the Normandy over the Fleet. The thousands of vessels seemed to stretch on beyond what everyone on the Normandy could see: at the center of it all, a giant, circular ship rode tall over the Fleet, seeming to lead the way. Admiral Kalpalan's gaze followed the large ship, and he held his hands behind his back.

"That large ship there," said the Admiral. "I have not seen anything like it."

"It is one of our live ships," Tali replied. "It is an impressive feat of engineering. And that is one of the few ships that I can safely say does belong to us."

"I shall give your people good complements," the admiral replied. "It is beautiful."

Tali nodded demurely. Jon'ison smiled, nodding to the admiral. "What did I tell you, Admiral? Incredible fleet!" He then turned to Tali. "Well, here we are. Home at last."

"Yes..." Tali breathed in nervously, looking back at her Fleet. "I only hope they will accept me back."

"Tali, don't be ridiculous," Jon'ison said as he smiled, walking towards her. "You're coming home, why  _wouldn't_ they accept you back?"

The quarian paused, considering all she had learned about Jon'ison over the past few days. Jodie's message, seeing him perform the Reckoning on the Illusive Man, his inability to answer the question about Balak... She half expected some other trick to lay up Jon'ison's sleeve. She knew it was impossible, of course: even someone as well-connected as Jon'ison could not be that good at forging connections.

But of course, there was the more horrifying thought that whatever he had done that he hadn't told her about might have gotten her in trouble with the Fleet.

Tali nodded, however, and she looked back up at Jon. "I... I guess you are right," she said. She ended with a nervous chuckle, before stepping forward. "Well, let us approach the Fleet."

"Yes, of course." Jon'ison turned to the Admiral Kalpalan. "You should probably get into a vacuum suit. From what I hear, the entire Fleet is sterilized: I don't want the Quarians getting sick from whatever germs we're bringing from our galaxy, you hear that?"

"Yes, Jon'ison." With this, Admiral Kalpalan turned away. "Come, men, let's prepare."

With this, he turned, his two men following behind as they made their way to the armory. Jon'ison then looked forward, before he heard a ping from the contact console in front of him.

" _Who is this?_ " asked a disgruntled quarian voice. " _I was not made aware we'd be taking any stragglers!_ "

Tali nodded, before stepping forward. " _After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began._ "

* * *

"Tali'Zorah, you have returned to us!"

"Auntie Raan!"

With this, Tali rushed forward, meeting another female quarian right at the airlock. Jon'ison and the Admiral Kalpalan entered after her, and the group of quarians that were acting as the other quarian's retinue all looked up in surprise.

"I am so glad to see you again, Tali'Zorah," she said. She then looked back to Jon'ison, before turning to the being immediately to his left. "What is this?"

The Admiral Kalpalan nodded, bowing forward. "My apologies, Admiral," he said. "I am Admiral Sugrak Kaplalan of the Federally Armed Reserves. I am the head of Jon'ison Shardan's army."

"And I am Jon'ison," he said bowing his head to the quarian admiral. "You may know me better as Shepard."

"And I am Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay," Shala replied. "I have known Tali my whole life." She then looked up at Kalpalan. "And what are you?"

"I am what they call the praetorin," the admiral replied. "You may be seeing much more of me here, too."

"I would not count on that just yet, Admiral," Shala replied. She then looked to her retinue. "Come. Let us take them to where the admirals are."

Shala then began to walk on. Jon'ison nodded, following along as they moved deeper into the Rayya.

* * *

The chamber that Jon'ison, Tali, and the Admiral Kalpalan were led into was rather small: it did, however, house the other four admirals. Three of them looked forward, but as usual, Tali noticed her father was looking into his desk. No doubt, he was looking into some last-minute work, but Tali noticed that his hand moved with unusual speed.

Still, Tali looked up, and then noticed that there was a different admiral sitting in Gul's seat than there was the last time she had been there. The unfamiliar woman leered at Jon'ison for a second, before turning her gaze to Tali.

With this, Tali turned to Shala'Raan. "What happened to Admiral Gul'Yenvar?" Tali asked.

"He retired recently," Han'Gerrel replied. "He deserved it: the man has been serving since we were all children."

"I still can't believe I was voted in his place," the new admiral commented. She then stood up. "I am Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh, one of the Fleet's scientists."

"And our newly minted admiral," said Han'Gerrel. He then turned to face Tali. "Welcome back to the Fleet, Tali."

"Thank you, Admiral," said Tali. She turned to Jon'ison. "I believe you know the Commander?"

"Or the Supreme Commander, as the case may be," Admiral Kalpalan replied. "No doubt you've heard our offer."

"We have indeed," said Daro'Xen. "It's a rather...  _generous_ offer you've given us."

"It is indeed," said Zaal'Koris. "A cure for our immune systems is nothing to take lightly, of course."

"It wouldn't be," said Jon'ison. "And we'd be offering it no strings attached."

It was then that Shala took her place amongst the other admirals. "That is just the thing, however," Shala asked. "We did have some more questions about the cure, and Tali'Zorah's disappearance."

And here, Jon'ison simply stood upright. "Of course," he said. "I'm here to answer them now, so..."

Han'Gerrel nodded, holding his hands together in front of him. "You said you found her on a geth ship," he said. "Why had they not simply exterminated her, again?"

"That, I don't have an answer for," Jon'ison replied with a shrug. "But you know those geth. Experimenting on whatever, right? I figure they might have some use out of her, might turn her against the Fleet."

At this, Rael'Zorah frowned, but he did not look up from his desk as Han'Gerrel shrugged. "Right," he said. "But that obviously didn't work, did it?"

"No," said Jon'ison. "She's extremely loyal to the Fleet, you understand."

"Then why was she not returned to the Fleet right away?" asked Zaal'Koris. "You could simply have returned her when you first found her."

"At the time, we were dealing with a particular mission," said Jon'ison. "I needed people I could trust on the mission, and Tali'Zorah was exactly that. In the meantime, I needed to bring her up to speed on my plans for the Fleet."

"I see," said Han'Gerrel. He then looked directly at Jon'ison, leaving his arms crossed. "And your mission parameters?"

"Fulfilled," said Jon'ison. "We were dealing with a force stealing human colonists from their colonies. We tracked their force to their lair, and my galaxy has destroyed them. Cerberus has also been dealt with accordingly."

"Then they will not be a problem any longer?" asked Daro'Xen.

"No," said the Admiral Kalpalan. "And justice has been dispensed to our people."

"Good, I am glad to hear that," said Admiral Shala'Raan. "On that note, I suppose we should go to the medical nanobot network. What does it entail? How does it function?"

"It's a series of nanobots connected to a network," said Jon'ison. "It's meant to send electrical impulses to provide an incredibly accurate diagnosis of any conditions that may arise. You may not even be symptomatic, and you'll be notified to seek medical attention." He looked up. "With a little retrofitting that we've done already, we could also use those electrical signals to stimulate the immune system and improve it."

"We can also do genetic modification with this network as well," said Admiral Kalpalan. "That way, if the nanobots fail, we have a back-up for you." He then looked up. "We learned from our previous mistakes, after all."

"I see..." Han'Gerrel looked at Jon'ison. "You mentioned electrical impulses. Are they from the nanomachines themselves?"

"Yes," said Tali. "I got the opportunity to see them myself, sir. The impulses come from the nanomachines, and are regulated by the networks they are connected to."

Han'Gerrel nodded, turning to Daro'Xen. She looked to the other admirals, none of them precisely making eye contact with Rael'Zorah as he sat there. The other four admirals paused, before turning to Jon'ison.

"Well, it is a very enticing proposal," Zaal'Koris replied. "But we do have one  _last_ question before we consider using it."

Jon'ison and Admiral Kalpalan exchanged a confused glance. Tali turned to Jon'ison as well, before turning back to the admirals before her. "And what is that?" she asked.

Daro'Xen nodded. "As you know, providing an electrical impulse within the body has unpredictable outcomes," she said. "It is why, as the science officer on the Moreh, I have forbade any nanomachine experiments in an attempt to cure our immune systems. The outcomes are too unpredictable, particularly in correlation to the nervous system. So to that end, I have to ask you this, Jon'ison Shardan: what is contained in the network that regulates these nanomachines?"

"Diagnoses of known conditions," said Jon'ison.

"Really?"

All eyes turned to Rael'Zorah, who had just spoken. Finally, the admiral lifted his head up, looking at Jon'ison. And then, Tali gasped, seeing his eyes narrowed not in exasperation as she expected, but with an unholy rage she had never seen him display towards anyone. Rael'Zorah's hands were splayed against the surface he had been staring at for a while, and he looked directly at Jon'ison.

Jon'ison blinked in surprise. "You think we have a reason to lie to you?" he said.

"Perhaps by omission, yes," Rael replied. "You see, Jon'ison, your explanation of this nanomachine network leaves a hole that I am surprised nobody in your galaxy has called out: the electrical impulses. If your explanation of the Great Purge is correct, you said that Cerberus used that part of the network against you. But even bearing in mind what Admiral Daro'Xen has just stated, it seems very strange to me that electrical impulses meant to monitor symptoms and little more should be amplified to such an extent."

"It was Cerberus," said Admiral Kalpalan.

"I doubt Cerberus had genocidal instincts as that suggestion implies," said Rael. "But what I also find troubling is why the geth would take my daughter with them. I suspect that if they had found my daughter in their space, they would have attacked her whole force. But, according to your claim, they did not. I find that extremely difficult to believe, and the fact that you cannot answer beyond that as to why she was there in the first place leaves me much room to doubt." He then looked at Tali. "As well, I have things to ask of you, Tali."

Tali breathed in, realizing how much she dreaded this moment. "Father, this is the future of the quarian people," she said. "I  _won't_ have you question-"

"Allow  _me_ to ask the questions, Tali," Rael said coldly, with that glare she knew so well.

Tali immediately stood erect, facing her father down. With this, Rael'Zorah stood, holding a datapad in his hand.

"I have a question for you, Tali'Zorah," he said. "And this is one you must answer honestly: did you, or did you not accept a mission to help this galaxy retrieve Jon'ison Shardan's corpse?"

Jon'ison blinked, before looking to Tali. "Tali, you don't have to answer that," he said.

"And why not?" asked Rael'Zorah. "I am asking the question here, am I not?"

"And she has the right to refuse to answer," said Jon'ison. "What does that even have to do with this, anyway?"

"It has everything to do with it," Rael replied, turning to Jon'ison and pointing his finger at the Supreme Commander. "You will not question why I ask these things."

"I think I have the right to if it's not related to what's going on now," Jon'ison replied, leaning forward. He then turned to Tali. "You don't have to answer that. Trust me, you don't-"

"I did."

The whole room went silent. All eyes fell on Tali as she stood there, looking directly at her father. She stood completely straight, but anyone who saw her noticed that her shoulders seemed to almost rise and fall too far.

"I did," she said. "They told me that if I did so, he could help the quarians. I already had my Pilgrimage gift, but the promise of something more... I did do it. But it was to assure their aid in our plight."

"You think they would have abandoned us so easily?" asked Daro'Xen.

"No," said Admiral Kalpalan. "We would not have abandoned you so easily. But it would have made our ability to assist much more difficult without our Supreme Commander. He is revered in our galaxy, you see, and Jon'ison's people would have an easier time swallowing such a pill if she proved to be a leading force in his resurrection."

"It was only one mission," said Tali. "Don't doubt my reasoning. If nothing else, know that I did it for the betterment of the Fleet."

"Why, so that you wouldn't scare off their AI race?"

Jon'ison nodded, looking up at the ceiling. "Yeah, some of them don't like that the quarians..."

And then, he paused, his pupils narrowing. He then looked to the Admiral Kalpalan, meeting his expression in shock. He looked to Tali as well, and they both looked at each other in shock.

"Wait..." Jon'ison leaned forward. "We left that out of our contact report. How do you know they exist?"

"I don't think the question of 'how' is the most critical one you should ask yourself," Rael'Zorah began. "What you should ask yourself, is 'when'." He then turned to Tali. "Tali, you could have chosen to tell us about this mission at any time, and yet you did not. You could have chosen to reveal where you were during any of that time you had vanished from the Fleet, but you did not. You could have chosen to bring us up to date about this cure, but you refrained from doing so. You could have sworn us to secrecy, and we  _might_ have been able to trust you."

"Father, I've worked to help the Fleet my whole life," she said.

"Then you have been influenced by a  _liar_ ," said Rael'Zorah. He glared at Jon'ison. "I do not know what it is you have done to my daughter, what lies you have filled her head with, but it ends  _now_!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Jon'ison.

But Rael stepped back. "I believe you do." He then turned to another door into the chamber. "Is that not correct, Kalo'Veera vas Lying Bastard?"

And then, the door opened. In stepped another quarian, this one with no headscarf. However, what caught their attention was who else was with him: faintly, Jon'ison recognized the asari who bore the garb of the Justicar. He also noted the turian and the batarian, both of whom had donned Blue Suns armor. The quarian stepped forward, looking at Tali'Zorah briefly before turning his attention back to Admiral Kalpalan.

And then, Jon'ison turned to the Admiral Kalpalan, seeing how wide the raptor's eyes had become. And then, he replayed Kalo's introduction in his head, and to the ship name that he had heard, both from Rael'Zorah's lips and from the reports he had heard about the intrudors of the Obschesto.

His eyes twitched.

"You gotta be  _shitting_ me..." Jon'ison said.

"No, we are not," said Kalo'Veera as he stepped forward. "And I would not bet on me being the only witness either."

From behind Kalo'Veera's entourage stepped a quarian marine. He stood tall, proudly over Kalo'Veera, glancing at him before looking to Tali.

Tali jumped. "Kal'Reegar," she said.

"I apologize, ma'am, but you'll understand our loyalty to the Fleet is important to us," he said. He then stepped back, looking to Jon'ison. "How much geth activity have you managed to monitor?"

"We had other priorities," Jon'ison replied. "Why?"

"You should have paid better attention, commander," said Kal'Reegar. "You see, we've been allied with the geth for a while now."

Tali blinked in shock. "What!?" she asked. She turned to her father. "He can't be serious!"

"I'm afraid he is," said Zaal'Koris.

Jon'ison blinked. "No..."

"And that is not all," Zaal'Koris continued. He then turned to the Justicar, leaning back. "Justicar... Samara, was it?"

"Yes," the Justicar replied. "I'm afraid I do not know any Asari leadership on intimate terms. I had heard before I landed on Omega that they were considering reparations treaties with the quarians, however."

"What?" Jon'ison leaned forward. "How!?"

"We all convened on Rannoch after the return of the Lying Bastard," said Zaal'Koris. "Our pilgrim Kalo'Veera promised us something that would change the future of the Fleet for the better. When we arrived, the Council and the geth were both there, mutually agreeing that whatever lay with your galaxy was the greater evil."

Tali blinked in surprise. "Rannoch?" she asked. "You've been..." She turned to Rael'Zorah. "Father, this can't be true!"

"Ah, but it is, Tali," said Rael'Zorah. "Cerberus' attack on the Fleet only strengthened our alliance with the Council. It has also strengthened our standing with the Geth, who have promised Rannoch to us."

"You're bluffing," said Admiral Kalpalan in disbelief.

"You should have thought to ask the Council what they thought of us, then," Han'Gerrel replied. He then opened his omni-tool. "Here is the log of communications I've had the past week. You can see for yourself."

With this, he tapped a few more buttons, before it displayed on a holographic projection in front of them. Indeed, the list was littered with a few calls from Councillor Tevos. They also noted a contact they did not recognize, but upon seeing it there they realized what it hinted at, for they saw the contact appear multiple times. Jon'ison leaned back, his eyes widening in shock as he looked to the Admiral Kalpalan. The praetorin's lower jaw hung open, and he turned to Tali for some kind of response.

Tali leaned forward, frowning at the admiralty board. Shala'Raan withered under her gaze, but Rael'Zorah stood proud. None of the admirals said anything more, and in their silence Tali found the answer she thought she would get.

Tali stood tall, her shoulders shaking in rage. "I  _knew_ it," she said, lowly. "Those many missions you sent me on were only distractions to keep me off the Fleet."

"We were warned not to let you too close to the admiralty board's dealings, Tali," said Rael.

"So!?" asked Tali, sweeping her hand across the air. "He was afraid of his galaxy being invaded!"

"You expect us to believe that after what the crew of the Lying Bastard told us?" Daro'Xen asked. "Please, don't be so simple-minded."

"You don't understand!" said Tali angrily. "He had genuine fears about this galaxy! He said humanity would turn on him if they ever discovered his secret before he was ready! He said his galaxy was not equipped to deal with an attempt at subjugation!"

"From a galaxy that routinely kidnaps people who find out?" asked Daro'Xen. "He's filled your head with pretty little lies, little girl."

"He's not a liar!" said Tali angrily. "He wouldn't lie to me, I know it!"

"Really?" asked Kalo as he stepped forward. He then spared a glance to the Admiral Kalpalan, before turning to Jon'ison. "So when were you going to tell her about what might have contributed to the Great Purge?"

Jon'ison blinked in surprise. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Kalo nodded, before opening his omni-tool. "I was offered the cure as a Pilgrimage gift," Kalo replied. "But when I escaped, I managed to take a sample with me. I experimented on it with the help of a former STG scientist, and discovered something horrifying about this cure." He then looked to Tali. "Those electrical discharges that Jon'ison Shardan described are not merely there for diagnosis purposes, madam. There was a propagandistic bend to them."

Before Tali could reply, Jon'ison let out a loud guffaw. "Ridiculous!" He laughed loudly, shaking his head and banging his fist against the console in front of him. "Look at him! Now he's reaching for  _lies_  to tell the quarians!" He shook his head, looking to Tali. "Look at this crap, Tali! You can't tell me that's for real!"

But Kalo'Veera remained still, shaking his head and moving his fingers across his omni-tool. "The admirals have the results of my research on their omni-tools," he said.

"I must say, it's all quite fascinating," said Daro'Xen. She then glared at her fellow admirals. "Were it not for our treaty with the Geth, I would have thought to use such measures on them."

"Daro'Xen, you are treading on dangerous ground there," Rael'Zorah warned her.

"It was merely a comment, Admiral Zorah," she said. She then stood up. "Because the fact remains, any technology that can indoctrinate the denizens of an entire galaxy like that is a dangerous technology, and not one I would recommend using on any living thing."

"You see, Daniel volunteered to test the technology to the fullest," said Kalo. He shook his head. "On that nanomachine network's good graces, he became indoctrinated to conspiracy theories. That would take  _years_ to do by conventional methods, but this happened in a matter of  _days_." He then leaned forward, glaring at Jon'ison. "And you wished to give it to us in this unmodified state."

Jon'ison stood there wide-eyed, and he looked on in shock. Tali and Admiral Kalpalan looked on as well, before turning to Shepard slowly. The Admiral Kalpalan's fist clenched, and he turned to Jon'ison, his breath coming in short.

"Is this true?" he asked.

Jon'ison shook his head, his eyes wide in disbelief. "That's... That's impossible..." he said, his voice nearly a whisper. He shook his head, turning to Kalo'Veera. "Your'e saying  _my_ galaxy created such a thing..."

And at this, everyone opposite the Commander reared back in surprise. They all noted his expression, the way he talked, the way he slowly moved.

"Yes, I am," said Kalo'Veera.

Jon'ison shook his head. "You can't be serious," he said, shaking his head. "That's a lie! There's no way anyone in my galaxy could be that insidious..."

"Well, the data does not lie, and I know what I witnessed," said Kalo. "You would have sought to  _brainwash_ the quarian people into falling in line. Regardless of what you ultimately intend for the quarian people, I think I speak for the entire admiralty board when I tell you that we have no interest in such a bargain."

"You do indeed, Kalo'Veera," said Rael'Zorah. He shook his head, looking to Tali. "As such, the admiralty board convened shortly before you came here, Tali. Do you have anything you can say for yourself?"

And then, all eyes went to Tali. She gazed down at the ground, her eyes wide in shock. The way her hand splayed out against the opposite counter conveyed so much, though, as her hand laid there almost as if she were supporting herself.

"I..." Tali could hardly look up. "That can't be true."

Rael'Zorah looked to Jon'ison. The artician's face had gone completely pale, and Rael'Zorah paused. For a good, long while, nobody said anything, a tense silence hanging over the air.

Finally, Shala'Raan rose, looking towards Tali. "When she spoke to me on Rannoch, Jodie told me she did not think you were intentionally betraying the Fleet," she said. "I believe her, and so do the other admirals." She shook her head. "Tali, please think. It cannot be worth it to betray the Fleet for him now, right?"

Tali said absolutely nothing, only drawing in a sharp breath. She turned to Jon'ison, looking at him regretfully before she turned to Shala.

"I... There must be something," she said. "He's been nothing but good to me. He cannot be so bad!"

Kalo sighed, before shaking his head. Kal'Reegar responded in kind, before Rael bowed his head down.

"Then you leave us no choice, Tali'Zorah," said Rael'Zorah, shaking his head as his voice went quieter than Tali had ever heard it. He looked to Han'Gerrel. "Han?"

Han'Gerrel stood up, opening his omni-tool. "Tali'Zorah, you have been accused of treason against this Fleet," he said. "Given what we've seen today, we have no choice bot to vote on whether or not you are guilty of treason."

Tali blinked, rearing back as she took a breath in. "You are trying me for treason?" she asked in shock. "And without a summons?"

"This  _is_ your summons," said Daro'Xen. "Your testimony today is proof enough of what you have done, what you nearly did to the Fleet."

And here, Jon'ison growled, slamming his fist against the table there. "How dare you!" he said. "She was only trying to work in the best interests of the Fleet! You can't exile her for that!"

"Unfortunately, it was a mistake in judgment," said Rael'Zorah. He then stepped back, glancing to Shala'Raan and looking to the other three admirals. "Please, make your decision now..."

Jon'ison immediately growled, before pulling his pistol out. He aimed it at the admirals, and suddenly others in the room drew their weapons. Kalo, the turian, the batarian, and Kal'Reegar all drew first, which resulted in Admiral Kalpalan drawing a weapon himself. The admirals blinked in surprise, Daro'Xen reaching for her hip as Han'Gerrel reached for his assault rifle.

Shala nodded, looking at Jon'ison. "I see," she said. "Then you would prefer we fell under your autonomy."

"How unfortunate that this has sealed Tali's fate," said Zaal. He looked to Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen. "Does this even require a vote at this point?"

"I don't think so," said Han'Gerrel.

Jon'ison growled, glowing green. "You sons of bitches," he said. "After everything she's done!"

"After the lies you filled her head with, we cannot take that chance," Daro'Xen replied.

Rael turned to Tali. "As a result of what we have seen here today, the Admiralty Board finds you guilty of treason, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy," he said. "As such, we are exiling you from the Fleet." He turned to Jon'ison, clenching his fist. "And as for you, Jon'ison; I hope you are pleased with yourself, that you kept your true species a secret. You have done more harm than good to your own brand. As such, you are ordered to leave this Fleet within the hour. We will fire upon the Normandy if this demand is not met."

Jon'ison bristled at this. "You want to presume to tell me what to do?" he asked.

Daro'Xen chuckled at this. "You did tell us at gunpoint that we could not exile someone you wanted to use for your own ends," she replied. "We are simply returning the sentiment, Supreme Commander."

Jon'ison growled, shaking in his boots. He then shook his head, before looking to Tali. The quarian's arms were tense, and he had the faintest idea that she was about to burst into tears. And suddenly, he found he could not do anything more.

He shook his head, turning to Admiral Kalpalan as he holstered his weapon. "Admiral, come on," he said. "We're going back to the ship."

He blinked. "Sir?" he asked.

"We're out numbered," he said. He glanced back at Tali as he reached for her. "Besides, she's been through enough for one day."

With this, he pulled Tali close, shaking his head angrily. "You'll regret this day, I swear you will!" he continued.

But Kalo'Veera shook his head. "I doubt that," he said. "But we shall see."

With this, Jon'ison exited the chamber, the Admiral Kalpalan and Tali following shortly after.

* * *

The DGI's meeting room was rather small and sparse. There were only a trio of chairs, the three articians who headed the DGI settling in as they looked to the holographic display in the center of the room. The three directors sat down quickly, all of them looking nervously at each other.

"He gave you the call as well?" asked the first director, the shortest of the lot.

The tallest of them nodded, sitting in the center of the desk. "Indeed," he said, brushing a hand through his silver hair. He shook his head. "Well, that can only mean one thing: our lot with the quarians didn't pan out."

"How, though?" asked the third one, the black-haired woman who quickly sat there. "We helped him groom the admiral's daughter and gave him that cover and everything."

"Something must have gone wrong," said the short one. He then turned to the holographic projection. "Let's see what they say." He then looked up. "Patch us through!"

With this, they all turned to the holograms. Jon'ison Shardan appeared before them, the green hologram discoloring his eyes in a strange way as he formed. The Admiral Kalpalan also appeared there. Jon'ison looked about ready to kill something with the way he frowned, and the Admiral Kalpalan looked on with concern in his expression.

"Jon'ison Shardan," the tall one replied. He bowed his head, clasping his fist against his heart. "I take it you do not bring good news."

" _No, the Fleet just congratulated me for killing another thresher maw on the weekend,_ " Jon'ison replied, his voice hardened by sarcasm. " _No, we have terrible news,_ Director _. Guess who got to the quarians before we did?_ "

The black-haired woman leaned forward. "Was it Jodie, or the quarian on Omega?" she asked.

" _Both,_ " said Jon'ison. " _Turns out, that backstabbing bitch got in contact with the admirals before I could even get_ close  _to Tali post-death. Made an alliance with the Council_ and  _the geth, too!_ "

All three of the DGI directors blinked in shock, looking at each other. "What?" asked the shortest of them. "They formed an alliance with the Council and the geth?"

" _Evidently,_ " said Admiral Kalpalan. " _How did you not know of this beforehand?_ "

"I... I do not know," said the tall DGI director. "We had some suspicion about Jodie Holmes, but to think that she was behind this too."

" _We're totally_ fucked _here,_ " said Jon'ison. " _Seriously? How could you not know this!?_ "

"We didn't," said the black-haired woman. "We must not have paid enough attention!"

" _Yeah, no shit,_ " said Jon'ison as he leaned forward. " _So now, we have no quarian alliance, we can't ally ourselves with the batarians because we can't ally ourselves with those slaving lowlifes, we can't work with the geth because they know too... We now have to do this with the strength of our fleet alone. And good luck doing that now!_ "

"We have several outposts there, do not forget," said the tall DGI director.

" _Yes, and how many of those do the Alliance know about?_ " asked Jon'ison.

"I don't know, but not very many, I hope," said the short DGI director. He leaned forward, brown eyes peeking forward. "Either way, this does change things, Jon'ison Shardan. After all, we-"

And here, Jon'ison cut them off with a chuckle. " _Oh yeah, you're damn right this changes things!_ " he said. " _Because this isn't just about the quarians, either. It looks like_ you've  _got shit to answer for, too!_ "

All three DGI directors reared their heads back in shock. "Us?" they asked. "Whatever did we do?"

" _The quarian on Omega that was there said he conducted research on the nanobot sample he stole from us,_ " said Jon'ison. " _And then when he tells us what he found, he says something about how it had brainwashing protocols!_ "

The face of the tallest DGI director went pale almost immediately: the only other indication he gave was a quick twitch of his hand, and how stock-still he went afterwards. The other two DGI directors reared back in surprise.

"Brainwashing protocols?" asked the black-haired woman. "What are you talking about?"

" _That was the basis on which they refused our cure,_ " said Admiral Kalpalan. " _He even showed research logs, in which he said he claimed activity like that!_ "

"That's preposterous!" the shortest director replied. "He must have made that up!"

" _If he's going to make up a lie to persuade the admirals, and then prove it, why come up with that one, though?_ " asked the Admiral Kalpalan.

" _Yeah, what he said,_ " Jon'ison replied. He then stepped forward. " _Do I even want to know what you've hidden from me here? Because this is a pretty big thing to forget to mention!_ "

The tallest DGI director shrugged. "Well, you can never trust these quarians, Commander," he said. "I think your-"

" _He has_ proof! _"_ Jon'ison shouted, raising his fist in the air. _"And if he could prove it, that means others will be able to prove it too! So just be straight with me! Is there, or is there not, some kind of brainwashing protocols in the nanobot network!? You better not lie about this, or I'll disappear you to wherever the Traitorous K'lek went when I find out!_ "

And then, the three DGI directors looked to each other. The silence that settled over the room was uncomfortable, and nothing said that louder than the tallest DGI director's fidgeting. He exhaled roughly, before looking back at Jon'ison.

"Yes," said the DGI director. "Yes, there is."

Jon'ison bristled, before leaning forward and pointing his finger to the ground. " _And you were never planning on telling me this, were you?_ "

"Well..." The two shorter DGI directors went silent.

Finally, the tallest one leaned forward. "We did not think it relevant to mention," he said. "Regardless, this changes nothing. Cerberus was still responsible for the Great Purge, after all: they turned that function of the network against us, after all."

Jon'ison growled. He then shook his head. " _I guess you would know better than anyone how secrets work then,_ " he said. " _I guess I can't trust you either._ " He then shook his head. " _My prisoner has told me Tuchanka is already partly lost to us, so we can't even grab our superiority on the ground. We can still cure those other krogan, but good luck not causing a civil war on Tuchanka that'll kill_  all  _the krogan. So now, we've got to work completely by ourselves_ _._ " He then shook his head, looking to the Admiral Kalpalan. " _You were right, Admiral: the DGI_ is  _good for nothing._ "

The three directors jumped, but before anyone more could be said, the link cut. After this, the three DGI directors looked at each other nervously.

"He can't mean to cut us off," said the black-haired woman.

"He may very well mean that," said the shortest DGI director. He then shook his head, looking back up at the tallest one. "Well, this is all bad news. What do we do?"

"We adapt." The tallest director nodded. "Go to our propaganda minister, Yul. There may yet be a way to turn this to our advantage."

"You're not suggesting we turn on our prince, are you, Director Kor'evash?" asked the black-haired woman.

He merely nodded. "Jon'ison Shardan has had his uses, Eli'ssah," he replied. "But now that our greatest chance at earning diplomatic relations in this galaxy is blown, he is running out of uses."

"You realize this is the last part of the Shardan bloodline you're talking about, right?" asked Director Yul.

"Oh, we won't be cutting him off," said Director Kor'evash. He then stood up. "That is too risky. But we  _can_ undermine him."

"How?" Director Yul asked.

He grinned. "We turn the AI-murdering species against him," he said. "Come, let's plan it out."

* * *

"My goodness, I cannot believe I faced her down like that."

"You handled her well, Kalo'Veera."

"I do not feel like I did. I was quite nervous."

"It didn't show, trust me. You held your own there."

Kalo'Veera vas Lying Bastard sighed, chuckling as he looked back to Carhon. "I suppose so," he said.

He turned to his company: Carhon, Xerxes, and Samara all trailed behind. He knew where the shuttle area was; it would only take a few minutes to go straight to the Idenna from there, and Kalo'Veera could not take them down there fast enough. In the aftermath of the meeting, he knew he could use a little mental break from the non-stop barrage of admiral meetings he'd been subjected to ever since Samara's ship had docked with the Fleet.

And so, there they were.

"Yeah," said Xerxes. "Still, I'm glad we got here in time. Can you imagine what would've happened if they'd been allowed to brainwash an entire species?"

"Not a pretty sight," Carhon replied. "And  _I'm_ saying that."

"Oh come on, Carhon, they're not getting brainwashed physically," said Xerxes. "And that takes years anyway."

"True enough," said Carhon. He looked forward, before pausing. "Hey, is that admiral Rael'Zorah there?"

The group then watched as, in the hallway ahead of them, Rael'Zorah stood by the viewport. Kalo blinked, before walking forward. "Admiral," he said, before bowing his head. "Should you not be in another meeting right now?"

But Rael did not respond. He simply looked out of the viewport, his hand splayed against the glass. Kalo followed his gaze, before stepping close to the viewport. When he did, he blinked, seeing the Normandy floating in the space just outside of the Rayya. It lingered there for a second, before it turned.

"Oh..."

The ship then began to move away from the Fleet. As it moved, Kalo watched as Rael's gaze followed the ship. Samara, Carhon, and Xerxes all walked up, and then the five of them watched the Normandy vanish into the vacuum of space. When Kalo finally turned to Rael'Zorah, he noticed the way Rael's shoulders drooped, how his head tilted forward slightly.

"Admiral, are you alright?" Kalo asked.

Rael inhaled slowly, turning away from the viewport. "I do not know..."

Xerxes shook his head, stepping forward and patting Rael on the shoulder gently. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I can't imagine what it's gotta be like being forced to exile your own daughter like that."

Rael shook his head. "I will be alright," he said, even as his voice broke up. "Do not worry about me. There is work to be done."

But Kalo leaned forward, shaking his head as he gripped Rael's arm. "Admiral Rael'Zorah, no," he said. "The admirals can wait. They've gone to recess for the day."

"But there is work to be done!" Rael broke out of Kalo and Xerxes' grips. "I have more that must be done. My work today is not finished. Now leave me be: I have to handle my work alone."

With this, he started to walk further down the hallway. Kalo reached out to him, but paused, pulling his arm back. He exhaled softly, turning to Xerxes. The turian's mandibles moved to the side, and he too reached out to Rael'Zorah.

But it was Samara who stepped forth. "You need time to grieve, Admiral Rael'Zorah. I would not suggest you bury your sorrow in your work."

The admiral turned to the Justicar, walking straight up to her. "Who says I am burying my sorrow in my work?" he asked, angrily.

"It is quite plain to see that," said Samara. She stepped forward. "It is never easy to put family aside for duty."

"Do not speak to me about duty and family," said Rael'Zorah replied, jabbing his finger at the Justicar. "You have no right! And you don't know what I've had to think, how much I scrambled before Tali was lost to that Shardan boy's machinations! You do not even begin to understand what I feel right now!"

But Samara stood impassively, even daring to take a step forward. But as she moved, Rael'Zorah did not move any further away from her. Eventually, the Justicar stood before Rael, turning to look out of the viewport myself. She spared a glance to Kalo, before turning back to Rael'Zorah.

"I had three daughters of my own, Admiral," she said. "And they have a rare genetic defect within the asari, one that is dangerous enough that the asari government has seen it fit to keep it their closest-guarded secret. I will not divulge what they are, but it requires them to be separated from the rest of us." She then leaned closer. "Two of my daughters, Falere and Rila, are safe in confinement with others like them. But my third daughter would not have it so."

Rael'Zorah looked up at her. "But as a Justicar..."

"It became my mission to find her," said Samara. "I wished only to bring her in, but the power she wielded intoxicated her, morphing her into a shadow of what she had once been." She shook her head. "She rebranded herself as Morinth. It became my mission after that to end her life, as she was a clear and present danger to others."

And here, Rael blinked. He reared back, but did not turn away from the Justicar. "You... You were forced to kill your own daughter?" he asked.

"No: Jon'ison's men on Omega ensured my mission would have an unsatisfactory end," she said. "But I made it my mission to do it myself."

" _Keelah..._ " Rael shook his head, looking up at Samara. "You make it sound so easy."

Samara shook her head. "It never is," she said. "Even as she became a monster, I never stopped loving her. She was the smartest and the bravest of my daughters, and her mental strength would have been the envy of any asari that stayed on the right side of the law." She shook her head. "But I have had centuries to process the difference between my duty and my family ties. It is a difficult thing, to separate family from your duty."

"But in some cases, it must be done." Rael'Zorah sniffled, walking slowly towards Samara. "But why do I still..?"

Samara stepped towards Rael, gently placing her hands on his shoulders. "It is not wrong to love your daughter any less than before," she said. "That will never go away, and it should not go away."

Rael nodded, sniffling. "I wished to build her a house on the homeworld..." he whispered softly. "And after Mari died, she is all I have left." He shook his head, sniffling a little louder. "All of my hard work over the years, and now she is an exile. What more can I say, but that I wish there was  _some_ way I could have avoided this?"

With this, Rael stepped forward, weeping bitterly. Kalo, Xerxes, and Carhon all watched as he shook his head softly, leaning close to Samara. The Justicar pulled him into a tender hug, allowing him to loudly weep against her shoulder. Samara gently patted his back, shaking her head.

Finally, she stepped away after Rael had calmed down sufficently. When he did, she looked on him kindly, gesturing down the hallway. "Tell me about your daughter, Admiral Rael'Zorah," she said. "Tell me about the Tali'Zorah you know."

Rael nodded, before the two of them began to walk down the hallway in step. "She's a brilliant hacker," he said, his voice breathless. "One of the best..."

And thus, the two of them walked down the hall. Kalo, Xerxes, and Carhon all remained behind, watching them go forward slowly. Eventually, they disappeared around a bend, leaving the three of them to stand there in silence.

Carhon sighed, shaking his head as he looked to the side. "Well, misery loves company," he said. "Good thing he's got someone he can talk to about that."

"Yeah," said Xerxes. He shrugged. "I mean, she can just head to the Idenna on her own later, right?"

"I am certain Rael'Zorah would be a good host and help her there," Kalo replied. He nodded. "Come. We'll reconvene with her later."

Xerxes and Carhon nodded. With this, the three of them continued down the hall, turning at a different bend than the one Samara and Rael had disappeared behind.

* * *

Jon'ison shook his head, sitting down at the table and growling. The AI core was empty, save for Ashley Williams, who sat there behind a force field. She wore a smug grin on her face, watching as the commander shook his head repeatedly.

" _We will be out of the system in two minutes, Supreme Commander_ ," Eliem said, her blue hologram appearing. " _When do you think we'll be back for these guys?_ "

"Who the fuck knows?" asked Jon'ison. He shook his head, turning away. "One chance to get allies, and we blew it thanks to that  _bitch_  Jodie."

Ashley chuckled. "We really pulled a fast one on you, didn't we?" she asked. She then leaned forward. "Hope you're glad that this whole 'don't tell anyone I can't control the truth' is blowing up in your face."

"Shut the fuck up, Ashley!" Jon'ison shouted, turning at her and growling. "Be as smug as you want, but that doesn't change things about what we're after here!"

"Maybe it doesn't," said Ashley. She then leaned back. "But man, I can't believe Kalo's instinct was right. I'm glad we stopped all of you before this point: I'll bet you anything the universe where you're allowed to take over everything is hell to live in."

Jon'ison glared at Ashley, before turning away. "Whatever," he said. "Well, I guess now we can't avoid a war. I really didn't want a war, but here it is." He then looked up at Eliem. "Eliem, tell Tali to meet me in my quarters. I'm in need of comfort."

" _Sure thing, Jon'ison,_ " Eliem replied. " _Is there anything else?_ "

"Yes," said Jon'ison. "Tell the pilot to get our fleets to convene at the Armstrong Nebula. And tell them to prepare for war at Arcturus."

Ashley jolted in surprise. "A-Arcturus?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jon'ison replied. He glared at Ashley. "We're hitting the Alliance where it hurts first. And then, we're coming for Earth!"


	16. Chapter 16

" _Councillors, I notice one of you is not here._ "

Councillor Anderson sighed, looking to Tevos and Valern behind him. Ahead of them, Admiral Shala'Raan and Admiral Zaal'Koris' holograms stood before them in the dark room. It accented their form a little bit, and as Anderson looked at the life-size holograms he wondered how his own galaxy had managed to go so long without this kind of technology.

Tevos nodded, stepping forward. "Sparatus was killed," she said. She sighed, bowing her head. "He died when Jon'ison Shardan attacked the Citadel."

" _Oh..._ " Zaal'Koris bowed his head. " _My condolences, Councillors. It is never easy to lose a dear colleague._ "

"Thank you, Admiral," said Tevos. "But now is no time to mourn, not yet. We have something bigger to worry about."

" _Like Jon'ison,_ " said Shala. She bowed her head forward. " _Kalo'Veera has returned to the Fleet. His research was... illuminating, and it is such that we believe you need to know what he discovered._ "

Anderson frowned, stepping forward. "What was in it?" he asked.

" _The technology to control how we understand information, and thus the power to control how we think,_ " said Zaal'Koris. He opened his omni-tool. " _We will be forwarding these results to you. If I were you, I would forward them to every party you know. I think the galaxy needs to understand that these are not people to accept gifts from._ "

"I see," said Valern. "I think the Dalatrass would like to get their hands on this."

" _Why is that?_ " asked Shala'Raan.

"It might be what finally convinces her to cure the genophage," he said.

" _So you are finally going to attempt to suggest it?_ " asked Admiral Zaal'Koris.

"We have to," said Tevos. "If you are right and they can control how we think, we cannot risk losing the krogan to them. Even Urdnot Wrex would not be enough to stop them if they gained that nanobot network."

" _Of course,_ " said Shala'Raan. She then bowed her head. " _Will you need us to provide any military reinforcements?_ "

"Not yet," said Anderson. "We're waiting on word from the turian intelligence officials to figure out where they might attack first. In the meantime, it might be advisable to contact Admiral Hackett. He'll be able to tell you where you might be most useful."

" _Then we'll do that shortly,_ " said Zaal'Koris. He tilted his head to the side. " _In the meantime, are there any other orders of business we need to attend to?_ "

"Not at the moment, no," Anderson replied. "We'll keep you updated."

" _Excellent,_ " said Shala'Raan. " _Here is to our future. Keelah se'lai._ "

With this, the feed cut. The lights came back on in the small room, and Anderson nodded, adjusting his shirt somewhat.

"I cannot believe we're about to go to war with an entire galaxy," said Tevos. She shook her head. "Has it really come to this?"

"It seems like it," said Anderson. He then sighed. "And now, we have to concentrate on finding our new turian Councillor." He glanced to the side. "I assume Victus is off the table?"

"Yes," said Valern. "He is too vital to the war effort to be distracted by our politics. If war had not broken out, I would enthusiastically ask that he be offered the turian's seat, but in our present circumstances..."

"I know," said Anderson. He then frowned, looking back to Valern. "Any word from C-SEC about potential protests?"

Tevos sighed, shaking her head. "There was a big anti-human demonstration on one of the turian colonies yesterday," she said. She sighed, shaking her head. "It will not be long before the Council receives calls from the populace to boot humanity from the Council."

The Councillor nodded. "I was afraid you would say that," he said. "If only information campaigns were enough."

"They will have to be, for now," said Valern. "In the meantime, with this galaxy behaving the way it has, it's given me an idea for how we might be able to get humanity out of the situation Jon'ison has put you in."

Anderson blinked, turning to Valern. "You do?"

"Yes," said Valern. "I spoke to Donnell and Victus yesterday, and they both had a fairly interesting idea. Admiral Hackett might want to hear it as well."

Anderson nodded, turning to him. "Tell it to me now, Valern," he said. "What are you thinking?"

Valern nodded. "Here, let me explain how we could use this war to our advantage from a PR standpoint..."

* * *

Jodie sighed, checking her omni-tool again. She looked up at Illium's sky, waiting there as she did by the vendors nearby. She tapped her foot against the ground nervously, exhaling roughly as she did.

Thane looked over at Jodie as he stepped towards the guard rail. He held his hands behind his back, observing the skyline of Illium. His gaze lingered over the many buildings, most of which rose far higher than Jodie had ever thought she would see. The traffic that zoomed between them was also notable to her, and she watched Thane's eyes gaze over the whole scene.

The drell exhaled. "I have been to Illium many times, and its skyline is one thing which never fails to amaze me," Thane said.

"It's not a bad skyline, I guess," Jodie replied. She tapped her fingers against the railing. "How often do you come here?"

"Often enough," Thane replied. He turned. "When I worked for the hanar, several of my jobs were conducted here. It was a safe space to perform executions: targets are not bound by Council laws here."

"Yeah, that's the impression I get from this place," Jodie replied. She looked out. "Guess that's why the dirtier information brokers made their home here, huh?"

"Indeed," said Thane. He looked out. "I wonder how Miranda and Grunt are doing on their mission..."

"Hopefully not too bad," said Jodie. She rubbed the back of her head. "I hope they're not too late. Getting Anderson to agree to get  _something_ there was a bit hard."

"The look of gratitude on Miranda's face was worth it, though," Thane observed.

"Yeah," said Jodie. She then tapped her foot again. "Oh, I hope he relayed the right information to Liara."

"You won't have to worry about that, I'm afraid. He told me the right place to go."

Jodie turned, looking behind them to see Liara walk forward. She gasped, barely noticing the new blue and white jumpsuit Liara wore before rushing forward and hugging the asari gently. "Liara!" She smiled, pulling back to look up at the asari. "Am I glad to see you or what?"

Liara smiled, nodding her head once. "It's good to see you as well, Jodie," she said. "When I heard you were on the Normandy again, I feared for your life."

"Well, I'm not on the Normandy anymore, so I would call that a success," Jodie replied. She then frowned, catching another person at the corner of her eye: when she turned, she saw a blue and orange-scaled drell in laboratory-looking clothes standing behind Liara. "And who's this?"

"Another drell, no doubt," said Thane, stepping forward. "And not one I recognize from the hanar."

"Never worked for the hanar, and never will," said the new drell. He extended his hand towards Jodie. "The name's Feron. I'm one of the Shadow Broker's assistants, and Liara's partner."

"Liara's partner?" She leaned forward, shaking Feron's hand. "Insurance to test her loyalty?"

"He does need to make sure his throne is safe," Liara replied. "But more than that, Feron has been a big help ever since I went to the Broker with what we saw in the other galaxy. He is essentially the muscle of the operation."

"And she is the brain," Feron replied. He quickly turned to shake Thane's hand, acknowledging him with a nod before turning his attention to Jodie. "I've heard a lot about you," he said. "And I suspect we'll be hearing a lot more after we start searching for this Eun-Jong Song character."

Jodie nodded. "Speaking of that, what are we talking about with him?" she asked.

"Eun-Jong Song was not hard to find, at least not at first," said Liara. She opened her omni-tool, and Jodie nodded as soon as she saw the portrait of the middle-aged Korean man that came up. "He was an elite programmer for Cerberus. Graduated from the top technical universities with honors, helped design the ship UI for the first human vessel capable of mass relay travel, joined the cyber front of the First Contact War... and then he joined Cerberus when that ended, only to leave a year later."

"I'm guessing nothing much was pulled up after that," said Jodie.

"Yes and no," said Feron. He then opened his omni-tool, a bunch of text appearing on the omni-tool's display soon after. "There's a brief flurry of activity from when he first left Cerberus that we were able to trace to. Essentially, it amounted to moving all of his money onto a single account and purchasing a starship." He nodded as he closed the omni-tool. "Since then, only one person had heard from him, and he got executed on intergalactic television."

"The Illusive Man." Jodie swallowed, the lump feeling thicker than usual. "He must've wanted nobody to find him, except for him."

"I cannot blame him," said Thane. "If he did indeed write this virus, I cannot imagine how great his guilt must have been."

"And the best way to isolate yourself from any cause is to completely isolate yourself from everything," said Feron.

Jodie nodded. "Because nobody's ever heard from him again, right?" she asked. "So that means he had to have found a remote world somewhere to hide away."

"That, or he's already dead," said Liara. "But we can't put any flags on that possibility until we know for sure."

Jodie frowned, before pacing back and forth. "Whoah, hold on," she said. "We only  _just_ started an intergalactic war a couple days ago: we don't have  _time_ to search every uninhabited planet in the galaxy to find this man!"

"We don't," said Feron. "But we also do not have to do that search either, because even if he wanted to separate himself from a cause Eun-Jong seems to be awfully sentimental, especially for a computer programmer." He then swiped left on his omni-tool, bringing up a printscreen of an e-mail. "Eun-Jong left a clue for the Illusive Man, if they'd ever wanted to meet again for 'old times' sake'."

"You intercepted a communication with the Illusive Man?" asked Thane.

"Well, not exactly," said Feron. "But it  _was_ an archived message that the Broker pulled up. Your hacker friend left a hidden message in oddly-formatted individual letters. It took us a little while to crack the code, but when we put it together, we reconstructed a set of galactic coordinates deep inside the Terminus Systems."

Jodie chuckled. "How'd he avoid the slavers?" she asked.

"We don't know, but he did," said Liara. "What's more, they were left on a planet. We've sent a scout ship ahead to scout the area for us. If we wait a little, they'll be able to tell us if we can find what we're looking for."

Jodie nodded. "Well, that's good news," she said. She looked up at Liara, noticing her pistol holstered by her side. "I'm guessing by the gun you're not letting me walk out of here without help, are you?"

"No," said Liara. "The Shadow Broker feels that dealing with this parallel galaxy would be in his own best interest: thus, he has made it our mission to come with you."

Jodie sighed. "Why am I expecting this to go wrong at some point?" she asked.

"We all get that feeling every time we get a mission from the Broker," Feron replied. "That is nothing new. But the stakes here have never been higher, I guess."

"And that's why the Broker wants you to come with," said Jodie. She then looked to Liara. "Has this been cleared with Anderson?"

"I did so myself," Liara replied. She stepped forward. "I, for one, am looking forward to being on a ship with you again as something  _other_ than a rescued prisoner."

Jodie nodded. "Welcome to the club," she said, smiling. She then looked up. "Will we know when to take off soon?"

"Not exactly," said Feron. "They will need a little time to figure it out. They started before we left, we may have to wait a few more hours."

"Perfect," said Jodie. "Because we've got one of our own taking care of some business on Illium, business that is important to her. And since she's our Cer... well,  _former_ Cerberus liaison, we can't leave without her."

"Got it," said Liara. "Then we'll wait for her to make our next move."

"Good, because there are other people to introduce you to," said Thane. He then gestured to the ship. "Come, it is this way."

And with this, the group headed back towards the ship.

* * *

"In the meantime, we're fortifying the Fleets around our homeworlds. We're expecting Earth to be the first target, but we don't know that for sure. Do you have word from your mole on the Normandy where he is striking next?"

" _No. We are working on that at present, but we haven't been able to contact him yet. It would be precarious to do so at this moment, I think._ "

"Choosing our battles. Very well, then. Relay our plans to the Hierarchy. If we can coordinate, we might be able to work out what happens next."

" _Of course._ "

Admiral Hackett sat back. He looked to the side as he sat in the admiral's chair. Sura T'Lenya stood next to him, and she stood with her hands held behind her back. They both looked directly at the face of Adrien Victus as it appeared before them, his gaze seeming to remain somewhere outside of the holographic projection.

"Is there anything else you think we should know?" Hackett asked.

" _Not particularly,_ " said Victus. " _Although, Sura, I think Pravuil would like to speak to you as well._ "

"Oh?" Sura asked. She leaned forward, raising one of her brows. "How're you doing, Pravuil?"

With this, Pravuil walked into the projection. He wore a smile on his face as he patted down one of the flaps of scales on his head. " _I feel... oddly at peace,_ " he said. " _It is strange that I should feel this way considering our galaxies are going to war soon, but I feel at peace knowing that this galaxy has done something about Cerberus._ "

"Hey, we told ya," said Sura. She grinned. "Glad at least  _someone_ 's got a good feeling coming out of that."

" _I think it may be less because of the fact that justice has finally been delivered, and more that everyone in this galaxy kept their word._ " Pravuil turned to Victus, nodding his head as he turned to Sura. " _I was wrong about this place. There are many honorable people here._ "

"Sometimes, you've just gotta see the place first, I guess," said Sura. Her gaze turned to the door, where she knew a geth technician was likely monitoring the conversation, before turning back to Pravuil. "But man, now I feel kinda bad we're going to war with your galaxy. Can't believe it's come to that."

" _I think, at least to me, the Shardan prince has shown his true colors much more as of late,_ " said Pravuil. " _I will say this: you did convince me of your nobility. If I, who was once an ardent supporter of the Shardan prince, could be convinced, you may be able to convince the important people of the other galaxy._ "

"Hope you're right about that," said Sura. She shrugged. "I'm glad to see you doing so well over there. Next time we're on the Citadel, I'm taking you to some spots to celebrate."

" _Celebrate Cerberus' demise?_ " asked Pravuil. " _That seems a touch excessive._ "

"Hey, I need  _some_ excuse to get you out a little more," said Sura. "Being cooped up near Palaven can't be good for your health."

But Pravuil chuckled. " _Actually, I rather like it here,_ " he admitted. " _It is quiet, calm, and there is discipline all around._ "

" _You know that turian military doctrine,_ " Victus said.

"Indeed," Hackett added. He then turned to Victus. "We will be docking at Arcturus to refuel on our way to Earth. For now, keep us updated."

" _Of course, Admiral._ " Victus nodded. " _And the best of luck to you._ "

And with this, the feed cut. Sura nodded, looking over to Admiral Hackett. as he stood up. "I still can't believe Legion told me to see the Orizaba's refits personally."

"I think that thing trusts you," said Admiral Hackett. "And who wouldn't, after all your group has seen?"

"That's a fair point, sir," she said. She shrugged. "And I guess I'm a hell of a lot more useful up here than back in C-SEC. Wouldn't have done a damn thing on the ground there."

"Well, whatever the case, I'm glad to have you here," Hackett replied. He nodded. "Pretty sure you kept most of my human crew members from being too spooked when we refitted the ships with all this tech nobody'd ever heard of."

"Well, hey, we can't all be calm in the face of extreme change," Sura replied. She then smiled, turning to leave. "I'll be down at the control panel. One of the units wanted to optimize some circuitry down there, and it..." She paused, shaking her head. " _She_ asked me to supervise."

Admiral Hackett only gave her a small grin. "Alright," he said. "Just make sure the bridge crew knows."

Sura then bowed her head. "Of course."

And with this, she left the room. As she stepped out and looked back into the room, she noted Hackett's enigmatic smile with a hint of annoyance.

* * *

Liara and Karshia sat at opposite ends of the room, both of them glancing at each other uncertainly. The asari merely kept her gaze placid, keeping her stance relaxed as she appraised the praetorin. The praetorin, meanwhile, had busied herself with maintaining some ammunition stored in the ship. She would occasionally look up at Liara, and it was plain to everyone around her that she was merely doing it to keep her hands busy and not because it was actually something she needed to do.

Jodie, Thane, and Joker all sat in the center of the craft, looking between the two of them, with Feron leaning on the bulkhead next to Liara. Joker looked between them, before sighing.

"Great to see we're all getting along just peachy here," he commented. "I guess now is the part where one of you breaks out the cake, huh?"

Karshia glanced at Joker, narrowing her eyes. "This is vital work," she said.

"And I can walk perfectly fine," Joker replied. He turned to Liara, shaking his head. "Look, it looks like you two have gotten off on the wrong foot here, but we're gonna have to work together now. So maybe go ahead and kiss and make up?" He then paused, blinking and grinning. "Or maybe just kiss. That'll work too."

Jodie immediately glared at him. "Joker, now is  _not_ the time," she said.

The pilot immediately reared back, before crossing his arms. "Whatever you say..." he said.

Karshia paused, before shaking her head and closing the ammunition carrier. "I just think it's awkward that I'm going to have to work with the person I had to try to capture after she escaped," she said. "And then to have her get one over on me..."

"I think there is awkwardness to go around there," said Liara. She stood up, walking slowly past Thane, Joker, and Jodie. "But I am willing to let it go. I only hope you will not betray us."

Karshia exhaled. "My dad may be the admiral, but in my case, I can't continue to follow his superior in good conscience," she said. "So that's why I'm here."

"So you're going against him too, huh?" asked Feron.

The praetorin nodded. "I'd be lying if I said I wanted to, because I really don't," she said. "And if I know others, they don't want to follow Jon'ison either. But I'm taking initiative."

"So either way, it is not a good situation," said Liara.

"No, it really isn't." Karshia sighed, shaking her head. "Dammit, what have we got ourselves into here...?"

"Well, whatever the case, you need to see it to the end now," Liara replied. "That's the only way we can do this, moving forward."

"Yeah." Karshia nodded, looking up at the asari. "I suppose that's the only way."

She then stood up, turning to put the ammunition case away. As she did this, she looked at Jodie. "Does Miranda know about this yet?" she asked.

"She should," said Jodie. "I messaged her on the way back. Whether she's seen it yet or not is left to be seen."

And then, the group heard the sound of an airlock door opening. All eyes turned to the front of the shuttle: after a few seconds, though, Miranda stepped into the common area, Grunt not far behind. The krogan frowned upon seeing Liara and Feron there, but he nodded, approaching Liara.

"So this is one of the other smart people on the original Normandy, huh?" asked Grunt.

Jodie and Liara glanced at each other in confusion. "Smart people?" Jodie asked.

"You know, the ones not buying Shep- _Jon_ 's bullshit," he continued.

Jodie opened her mouth, nodding as she smiled. "Yes, that would be one of them," she said.

Miranda cracked a smile at this, walking towards Liara. "I've heard a lot about you from everywhere, Dr. T'Soni," she said. She then extended a hand to the asari. "It's a pleasure."

"I apologize for intruding so last-minute," said Liara as she shook Miranda's hand. "I know this is not quite according to plan."

"According to what plan?" Miranda released the asari's hand. "We haven't got one, so we might as well work with what we're given, and an informant for the Shadow Broker is the closest thing to a good thing we've gotten since I transferred Oriana safely."

"Then the transfer is done?" Thane asked as he stood up.

Miranda nodded. "There was a little bump along the way: Niket had sold out to my father," she said. "But Oriana is under Council protection now." And here, she grinned at Thane. "I don't know where they're going, exactly, but apparently she'll be keeping your son in good company."

Thane's second eyelids nictated. "Truly?" he asked.

Miranda sat down by Thane. "The galaxy has a sense of humor after all, it seems." She then turned to Jodie. "So when do we set out?"

"Hopefully soon," Jodie replied. "Liara just needs one last piece of intel to come through."

Liara nodded. "They should be getting in contact any moment now," she said. "I just hope it is soon..."

At that moment, Liara's omni-tool went off. Everyone's attention went straight to the omni-tool, and as they all leaned forward, Liara opened it.

The asari quickly read her message, before exhaling. "Good, we can move right away," she said. She then gestured to Joker. "Come on, let's go."

Joker smiled, standing up and slowly hobbling towards the cockpit. "Alright!" he said. "Where do we have to go?"

Liara tapped a few things on her omni-tool. "You should have the coordinates now," she said. "Do you think you can get us there?"

Joker nodded, turning to Karshia. "You're going to help me out with that subspace bomb thing again, right?" he asked.

"Of course," Karshia replied. She then stood up, following Joker into the cockpit. "Let's go. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for answers, too."

* * *

"They modified the genophage, Wrex! Who's to say they won't take back this next cure the next opportunity they have?"

"I have no guarantee of that, but this is a different circumstance. Would you rather they used those medical nanobots on us, make us  _their_ slaves, Jalagog?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then I think this conversation is over, isn't it?"

Wrex glared down at Jalagog Kurtek. The Jalagog ambassador leaned towards Wrex where he sat upon his throne: Wrex held his gaze, not looking away from Kurtek for anything. The air seemed rife with tension, but as both krogan stood their ground, one could sense it was not about to come to blows.

Finally, Kurtek stepped back. "Very well," he said. "But unless you find someone else willing to cure the genophage, then we may have no other choice." With this, he turned away. "I hope you have something lined up, Wrex," he said.

But the Urdnot clan leader only smiled enigmatically. "You'll see, Kurtek," he said. "You'll see soon enough."

With this, the Jalagog ambassador walked away. This left Wrex alone on his throne with just a single krogan. This krogan was thinner than was usual for the species, and he almost carried himself with a happy air. He turned to Wrex, bowing his head and looking at him.

"I think that galaxy gave us the greatest gift they could've already, if you don't mind my saying," said the lanky krogan.

Wrex chuckled, turning to him. "No kidding, Drakus," Wrex replied. He looked up. "And here, I was worried waiting for the Council would be a harder sell."

"I think we are also seeing why you refused Saren's cure," Drakus replied. He bowed his head. "Still, to think this is on a different level..."

"It's wrong," Wrex replied. He then shrugged. "They better get the Dalatrass on board after this."

"Afraid they still won't take it, even after they know now what it would've involved?" asked Drakus.

"No," said Wrex. He turned to Drakus. "I'm saying that because I'll be tired of watching her drag her damn heels again. It's about damn time."

Drakus nodded. "It is," he said. "Let's hope she listens."

"I'm not holding my breath," said Wrex. "But let's hope."

And with this, Wrex stood up, before making his way to the transports. He needed to check on the females, after all, and there was no better time to do that than when he finally got those silly ambassadors off of his back.

* * *

As Jodie exited the craft, she looked up. The wind whipped her hair about wildly, but it was nothing she could not get used to.

Ahead of her, a small habitat sat atop a plateau. Jodie knew the plateau was surrounded on all sides by the sea, and for more than just the briny smell that played on her nose, either: every so often, a wave would crash against the walls of the plateau, and it would kick up a healthy amount of water each time it did. It was a wonder that the habitat was still there, as was its greenhouse: Jodie was not sure how that was possible, but there it was.

As she stepped forward, Jodie heard Aiden trill lowly. She paused, blinking as he began to chirp animatedly. She blinked, rearing her head back with just enough time to notice Miranda walking up to her from behind.

"Did Aiden tell you anything?" Miranda asked.

Jodie nodded. "He thinks the habitat is booby-trapped," she said.

Karshia groaned, walking up next to them. "Of  _course_ it wasn't that easy," she said, looking at the habitat. "Can he disable any of them?"

"I think he can," said Jodie. She then nodded, looking up at Aiden with a smirk. "Can't you?"

Aiden let out an annoyed grumble. As soon as he did this, Jodie turned, looking at Thane and Grunt as they approached. Liara came up next to them, and behind her Feron looked through the last parts of a datapad he held in his arms.

"So this is interesting," Feron said. He then looked up at Jodie. "Your friend Kalo'Veera is on the Fleet right now."

"He is?" Jodie asked.

"Yes," he said. "Just got a report from the Broker that he got to the Fleet. He stopped them from entering the diplomatic agreement this parallel galaxy was attempting to set up."

Jodie sighed in relief, smiling. "Oh, thank goodness," she said. She nodded. "I'm glad he got off of Omega. When I heard Omega had been taken over, I feared the worst."

"Well, you won't have to worry," said Feron. He then turned to the habitat. "Now let's get in there, shall we?"

Jodie nodded, before walking up to the habitat door. As she stepped up to it, she noticed the door control turn green right as she stepped up to it. Jodie nodded, hearing Aiden start chirping wildly. Taking this as a cue, she opened the door to the habitat.

She blinked, surprised at the fact the place was actually decently lit: some of the lights had gone out, but she was not plunged into total darkness as she feared she would be. As she walked in, she saw a set of wires get cut overhead. She looked around, blinking in surprise at all of the booby traps that had been laid around. Errant shotguns in one place, trip wires linked to explosives in another, but the recurring theme was that they were all surprisingly well-made. As Jodie stepped further in, she wondered what kind of odd survivalist training he must have received that he was able to put so many traps in a confined space.

Nevertheless, she exhaled, hearing the rest of her group enter behind her as she looked for any sort of entrance to the underground.

"Eun Jong Song?" Jodie asked, clearly enough that she was sure her voice would carry to the underside of their habitat.

As Aiden undid more traps, Jodie heard no reply. She glanced back to the others, Miranda gently goading her on. She came up right behind Jodie a second afterwards, and then the two of them began to move in deeper into the habitat as Aiden got to work undoing more traps.

"Eun Jong Song, my name is Jodie Holmes," Jodie continued. "I need to talk to you about something!"

As she moved forward, she heard no reply. She sighed, turning back to see the rest of her team following her, all of them looking to her expectantly.

Finally, Jodie shook her head. "Look, I know what you did," she said. "You wrote a virus that kicked off a genocide. I just want you to know, I don't blame you if you feel you have to watch your back right now. But I promise you, Eun Jong Song: I am not with that other galaxy, and I am  _not_ here to accuse you of anything, not until you tell us what you wrote the virus for."

She shook her head. "This galaxy knows about them now," she said. "And the Shardan prince... He's rallied his galaxy behind him, using what happened with that virus as a rallying point. I was told..." She paused, glancing to the side. "Well, I heard that you were responsible for writing the virus."

Aiden chirped loudly. Jodie darted her head to the left, and as she did, her eyes fell on a bookcase that seemed a little too far to the left of the center of a wall. Her eyes rose for the briefest of seconds, before she turned towards it, watching as Aiden undid the last of the traps.

"Please," Jodie said. "I need you to tell me the truth behind what you know. This other galaxy is starting a war with ours, and I don't know how this can end well for us unless we all can see the truth." She walked up to the bookcase. "Please. We need to know what you know..."

For a short while, nobody said anything. She shook her head, looking to the others. She remained silent for a little bit, glancing around the room. It was then that Jodie noticed that Aiden had gone silent, and that indeed there were no more traps to undo. She paused, the silence deafening as they all waited for Eun Jong to say something,  _anything_ , to indicate that he had listened to Jodie.

Jodie frowned. "He is here, right, Aiden?"

Aiden chirped in the affirmative.

"And alive?"

Aiden chirped again in the same tone.

Jodie frowned, before stepping to the bookcase. She shook her head, looking over there.

"I am surprised you have not had Aiden possess him yet." Jodie turned to Thane, who had walked up to her without her noticing. "It might be our only option left."

"I'm giving him a chance to come up himself," said Jodie as she crossed her arms. "I don't want to freak him out by trying to claim I'm artician."

"You're not trying to claim that, though," Miranda replied.

"No, but he might as well think that given that whole 'no human spirit-touched' thing," Jodie replied. She shook her head, turning back to the bookshelf. "I don't think he-"

The bookshelf immediately shifted to the left. Jodie and Thane immediately turned their attention to this bookshelf as it moved out of the way, and as it opened, the others all began to crowd around Jodie as they looked: there, they all saw that the bookshelf was indeed hiding a passageway, as Jodie knew Aiden had already seen. They waited for a few tense seconds, during which a series of soft, yet heavy footsteps sounded in the passageway.

And then, a form was visible in the shadows, one that slowly came into the light. When his face was revealed, she saw a good many wrinkles. His face was a good deal more wrinkly than it should have been, she realized: it bore the scars not of age, but of far too much stress. His hair had gone grey and wiry, and whatever else she could see there was hidden behind tired eyes that shone black from the dilation.

He blinked, his pupil shrinking gently in the light. Finally, he looked at the assembled party around Jodie, his gaze lingering on Karshia. He then turned, looking at Liara, then Feron, then Thane, his gaze lingering on all of them. Finally, he turned to Jodie.

Jodie breathed in. "Eun-Jong?" she asked.

The old man nodded. "How are you here?" he asked. "Jack would be the only one with the coordinates to this place, and the means to undo all of my traps."

"It seems you weren't careful enough with your encryptions," Liara replied, stepping forward. "The Shadow Broker has had them in his vault for years." She then looked to Jodie. "As for the traps, Jodie has a friend. A spiritual one, from the looks of it."

Eun-Jong frowned as he looked at Jodie. "But you are human," he said. "No?"

Jodie nodded. "It's as perplexing to the other galaxy as it is to me," she said. She looked to the side. "Look, we need your help."

Eun-Jong glanced at Karshia, his eyes narrowing. "And what of her?" he asked. "Will she arrest me?"

Karshia shook her head, stepping forward. "Trust me, as much as I would like to right now, if I hand you to my galaxy I'm getting arrested for treason myself," she said. "So bringing you to them wouldn't help me, let's put it that way."

The programmer nodded. He then turned to the stairwell, gesturing to it. "Come," he said. "You must have journeyed very far. I brew my own tea leaves in the hydroponics area. I still am quite sentimental for it."

Jodie nodded. "Alright," she said. She then gestured to the rest of her companions, before turning back to face Eun-Jong. "Lead the way."

* * *

The downstairs chamber was not quite as dark as Jodie expected: a small lamp illuminated the small space the side. She saw a small kitchen there, which really confused her, but she did not bring it up. It was at least sufficiently homey enough that she was able to get over the fact that it did smell a little musty. Still, it was comfortable, at least.

When Jodie received the tea from Eun-Jong, she noticed how hot it was. It still steamed, and indeed she felt a lot of heat on her hands. With this in mind, she leaned forward, gently blowing on the surface of the tea as she held it in her hands. As she sipped it, she looked back to the others, watching as Eun-Jong took a seat.

"This isn't bad tea," said Miranda. "What type is it?"

"Oolong," said Eun-Jong. "Surprisingly, the soil on this planet is good for oolong."

"And only oolong?" Thane asked.

"Yes." Eun-Jong turned to Jodie. "You say you have a quarian friend researching this nanobot network?"

"He was, last I checked," said Jodie. "He returned to the Fleet, though. I assume that means his research is complete: I remember him telling us he would not return until he'd found answers on what, exactly, the nanobot network did."

"He was smart," he said. "And if he is a quarian, then I am not surprised he would have discovered its secrets." He sighed, turning to look at Karshia. He looked at her with some amount of trepidation, saying nothing as he took his place.

Karshia noticed this, holding the cup of tea in her hands. She said nothing, however, sipping the tea without blowing over the top of it. Jodie's shoulders tensed, but Karshia showed no signs that the hot tea had burned her throat. Jodie frowned, searching for every sign that she could think of that the hot tea had injured her, but nothing came of it.

It was so that Aiden's trill was the only indication Jodie got that Karshia had finished her tea.

The praetorin placed the cup on a nearby crate. "So," she said. "When did you find out you were causing a genocide?" she asked.

Eun-Jong nodded. "To the point, I see," he said. He bowed his head. "I did not know what my virus caused until after it had already been in their nanobot network."

Jodie frowned. "Then what was it meant to do, if not that?" she asked.

"Merely disable the electrical impulse functionality of the nanobots," said Eun-Jong.

Karshia frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Eun-Jong. "You know how they took diagnoses, yes?" he asked.

"Yeah, with those impulses," said Karshia. "Why disable that, though? That's the whole reason they work!"

"Yes, but they harbor a dark secret," said Eun-Jong. "Those impulses do more than just tell you the nanobot network functions: they can also influence the way you think."

Karshia frowned. "No way they would do that," she said.

But Eun-Jong shook his head. "We stole samples from them for testing," he said. "Jack wanted to play with that toy himself, wanted to see how he could turn it to humanity's benefit." He then paused. "But something strange started happening to all the people we tested it on. They began to develop an almost fanatical obsession with the Shardan bloodline, often within days of being administered the nanobots. Jack grew worried when it became almost cult-like. That was when one of our engineers stumbled across a program." He licked his lips. "It gave a command. A very propagandistic one. I'll never forget the look on Jack's face when he discovered what secrets laid within."

"I suppose you were afraid humanity would be the next victim," said Thane, before taking a sip of his tea.

"Yes," said Eun-Jong. "Jack was in direct contact with Mi'kael, the reigning king of Artice." He shook his head. "Mi'kael had plans for expanding his influence to our galaxy, introducing his technology to us first. As soon as we found that propaganda protocol, we knew we couldn't let it go unchallenged."

"Why not unveil it to them?" asked Karshia.

"Unveil the truth to a brainwashed population?" Eun-Jong asked. "Nobody would ever believe it. Jack knew that in order for what we'd say to have any effect, we would have to disable that function of the nanobot network. Telling the truth would have been impossible otherwise: who would take it seriously?"

"You could have told your Council," Karshia replied.

"And we would have gotten humanity in a world of trouble," said Eun-Jong. "The Illusive Man never liked the turians much, but he knew that it would be a death sentence to humanity if he revealed that his species had discovered a galaxy and ignored all first contact protocols revolving around the Council."

Karshia nodded. "I guess that makes sense," she said. "So what did you do?"

Eun-Jong stood up, walking to a terminal at the far end of the room. "I crafted a virus to hijack the master propaganda protocol," he said. "Jack had to organize the most complex Cerberus op I think he would ever do, given that each protocol was controlled from a facility on each species' homeworld, plus a couple of colony worlds as well." He shook his head. "The plan was to introduce the virus into each propaganda protocol, disable the electrical impulses, and hand us the reigns. I remember we ran into complications right away, though."

Karshia frowned. "The tales I hear say that people just... started to go berserk."

"We don't know what happened," said Eun-Jong. "They inputted the virus as planned, and we began to intercept their signals. And then, before we knew it, we had a zombie apocalypse on our hands."

Miranda nodded. "It still doesn't explain what happened," she said.

"I am at a loss for one myself," Eun-Jong admitted.

Miranda frowned. "I'm assuming you didn't test it on the Mi'kael cult that arose in Cerberus?" she asked.

"We couldn't," said Eun-Jong. "Some of the lab workers..." He sighed, shaking his head. "Well, when the researchers found out what had happened, Jack ordered them to take care of the cult. He thought he was saving them from a fate worse than death, but then we lost our research on the nanobots shortly after, so we had no way of knowing what happened." He then typed something, and to the left of him, an OSD was ejected. "But, I do still have the source code of my virus. Jack told me he did not tamper it from there. If your quarian still has the coding and the nanomachines from his research, he may be able to tell us what happened."

"I hope so," said Jodie. She stood up, walking to Eun-Jong and taking the OSD from him. "Is there anything else you can think of?"

"No," said Eun-Jong. He turned. "I suppose now I will be allowed to return to my self-imposed exile?"

Karshia stood up, looking at him. "What good will that do for my people?" she asked. "You helped kill us all."

"I know," said Eun-Jong. He turned away from Karshia. "Not a day goes by where I do not think of it, of the horrors we visited on your people. I still wake up with the nightmares." He sighed. "It is difficult, when you are so alone, but this is my burden to bear..."

Karshia paused, looking at the hacker intently. She leaned over, looking at his wrist for a second. Jodie noticed the way her fingers twitched, and the way she lifted her hand for just a second.

And then, she dropped it, turning a way. "Very well..." She turned, glancing at him again, before walking up the steps to the upper level.

As her long tail disappeared, Miranda turned to Eun-Jong. "Thank you for your insight," she said. She shook her head. "I am sure the Council will take it into consideration if they come back and remove you from your self-imposed exile."

Eun-Jong shook his head. "If they come, I will not resist, regardless," he replied.

Jodie nodded. "Thank you," she said. "The galaxy will thank you for this later."

With this, the group set off. As they exited, Jodie turned at the foot of the stairwell. She looked at Eun-Jong, watching as he slowly sat down. The empty tea cups were splayed all around him, and he sighed as he looked at all of them. Jodie swore that she saw Eun-Jong bow his head, closing his eyes.

And then, she turned, leaving the coder to his business.

* * *

Kalo'Veera nodded, looking to Samara as she settled a few of her items about the sleeping quarters of her ship. She remained placid the entire time, and as she did this, Kalo could not help but rub the back of his neck.

"Are you sure you wish to stay here, Justicar?" asked Kalo.

"I sense that the Goddess left me with you for a reason," she replied. "Now that I have seen Shardan himself, I am confident that I am meant to aid you however I can."

"What can one woman do?" asked Kalo.

"A great many things, Kalo'Veera vas Lying Bastard," she replied. She paused, looking up to the ceiling of her transport. "But I believe I will be most useful here. Councillor Tevos thinks similarly."

Kalo nodded. "Well, I suppose I should not question this," he said. He then paused, before bowing. "Which reminds me: thank you." He then stood back up. "Without you, I never could have made it back here."

"You are most welcome, Kalo'Veera," Samara replied. She then smiled, regarding the quarian. "Are you used to your new head scarf?"

Kalo nodded, feeling the material slowly. He imagined the new colors on his head, looking into the mirror. It was nothing like his old scarf: his scarf was a deep blue then, a blue accentuated by black swirls in the shape of a flower. It was so strange to think he had to abandon a head scarf, but there it was.

"I rather like it, actually," Kalo replied. He then turned to her. "I will get used to-"

And then, Kalo's omni-tool pinged. The quarian paused, before lifting his hand and frowning. He reared back upon seeing who the caller was, and then he looked back up to Samara. She looked to his omni-tool as well, nodding to him.

Kalo nodded, answering the call. "Jodie?" he asked.

" _Kalo!_ " Jodie exhaled in relief, and Kalo could just imagine her smile. " _I'm so glad you answered. I was scared to death that what I'd heard was wrong, that..._ "

"Well, Jodie, I am alright," he said. He smiled, shaking his head. "I did say I would be more cautious this time, yes?"

" _Yeah,_ " said Jodie. " _Listen, do you still have the nanobots untampered with?_ "

Kalo frowned, looking to the side. "Uh... I gave them to one of the admirals to see if we could dissect how to change some of the programming," he said. "Why?"

" _You need to get these nanomachines unmolested,_ " said Jodie. " _You know that virus that caused the Great Purge? I have the source code for it now!_ "

Kalo froze in place. "What?" he asked. "How did you get it?"

" _I'll explain when I get there,_ " said Jodie. " _Where's the fleet? We need to meet up, now._ "

Kalo looked around. "We are making our way to the Earth right now," said Kalo. "The Council felt we would be best positioned there, in case the parallel galaxy decides to attack Earth first."

" _Good,_ " said Jodie. " _We'll meet you there in a few hours._ _Tell this admiral to be ready: we have a lot of work to do._ "

Kalo nodded. "I will do that right away," he said. "I will see you soon, Jodie."

" _Take care, Kalo._ "

The link cut with a short click. As soon as this was done, Kalo turned to the Justicar, bowing his head.

"My apologies, Samara, but I must take leave of you now," she said. "No doubt you heard what happened."

"Of course," said Samara. "I will be here if you need me."

Kalo nodded. With a quick bow, he turned, making a beeline straight for the airlock of Samara's ship.


End file.
